A Shinkumi Wedding A Series of Unfortunate Events
by Gaijinfan
Summary: Have you thought about what a Shinkumi wedding would be like? Then please read. From the Author that brought you A Gokusen JDorama ending and Gokusen 2 Lost and Found, a sequel relating all three stories.
1. Ch 1: Prelude to A Wedding

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Summary

: From the author who brought you A Gokusen Jdorama Ending, I present a Shinkumi Wedding.

**DISCLAIMER:** I do not own Gokusen, and this story is not in any way connected to Lemony Snicket's **A Series of Unfortunate Events. **

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**Special Thanks to BlackJack 7** who provided some of the ideas and was a sounding board for me. You may indeed find a few references to the story **Growing Up Yakuza** in here as well.

**A/N**: This is sort of a sequel to my two previous stories, Gokusen 2: Lost and Found and A Gokusen JDorama Ending. In order to understand how, please see the incredibly long author's note at the end of this chapter. So be warned, there are some characters introduced in the previous fanfics that will appear in this story without much of an introduction or explanation. If you are cool with that, continue reading. If not, check out the A/N at the end and do what you gotta do.

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**A Series of Unfortunate Events**

**Prelude:** Your wedding day is supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life. Oh sure, the weeks, months, and perhaps even years leading to the wedding are full of stress, headaches, and endless planning events. And the week prior to the wedding may be one of the most hectic, but shouldn't be the worst week of your life.

However if you are the fourth generation yakuza heiress marrying the son of a prominent senator who was your former student, what can you expect? Such was the case for Yankumi, that is Yamaguchi Kumiko, and Sawada Shin. So after overcoming all of the objections and struggles it took to get them together, and there were more than a few (her background, his background, their age difference, their former status as teacher and student, several love rivals on both sides, his father's objections as a law abiding politician (oh, please as if that isn't an oxymoron I don't know what is), and finally her own refusal to admit her feelings and see him as student no more, but as a lover and as a man.) After all that, they thought that the wedding would be a piece of cake, right? Well, it was more like the worst week of Yamaguchi Kumiko's life, and it began like this.

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**Chapter 1: Prelude to a Wedding**

The door opened as the music began playing. Shin was at the altar dressed in an all-white tuxedo with silver accents, complete with white shoes and gloves. His hair was long and slightly feathered at the end, and he had his signature smile on his face. He was looking at Yankumi with pride and love. She was fetching in a fitted sleeveless satin wedding dress with a lace veil that ended at her waist and a train that picked up from the waist and flowed behind her. Her hair was elaborately pinned up, and she had a jeweled tiara attached to her lace veil on her head. She wore white satin gloves that came up to her elbows and was carrying a single long-stemmed red rose. She felt like a princess. She was smiling at Shin and was accompanied by Kyou.

Although she had been walking in time to the music at least at first, with every step she took, Shin seemed to be getting further away. Yankumi began to quicken her pace, dragging Kyou with her, but Shin seemed to be even further away. She finally broke into a run, lifting her wedding gown to avoid stepping on it or tripping over it. Shin's smile faded into a frown. The faster Yankumi ran, the further Shin would get. All of a sudden the ground began to crumble beneath her and spread until it reached Shin. At that point Yankumi planted her feet and took a flying leap toward Shin. Just as she reached him and landed right in front of him, the ground gave way beneath her. "Shin!" Yankumi yelled and reached out her hand for him, catching hold of his tie.

"O … jou!" Shin called as he reached out to catch Yankumi. She was hanging on to his tie for dear life.

"Shin, I love you!" Yankumi yelled.

"O … jou!" Shin's face began to strain and was turning shades of red, purple, and blue. "O … jou."

Yankumi finally opened her eyes to find that she had Minoru in a choke hold and was pulling on his collar. She let him go, and he flew back across the room on the floor.

"Minoru! What the hell do you think you're doing? You know I'm going to be a married woman in a week. Is this how you treat your Ojou by trying to sneak upon her in her sleep?" Yankumi was getting angrier and angrier as she thought about it.

Minoru crossed his hands in front of his face and shook his head as Yankumi headed toward him menacingly. "Ojou, it's the phone for you." He handed her the phone hurriedly. "The Little Raven asked me to wake you up." Minoru told her quickly as she stopped mid-punch, and her devil face quickly transfigured into a smile as she took the phone.

"Hello, Mani?" Yankumi asked.

"Miko? Honest to goodness, what takes you so long to wake up and get the day started? You have one week until the wedding. I would think you would be chomping at the bit to get each day started." Imani chided her.

"Hey, you're the one interrupting my dreams of marrying the man that I love finally." Yankumi had a dreamy look and a goofy grin plastered on her face.

"Well, in a week that dream will become reality, so wake up already, get dressed, and wipe that goofy grin off your face." Imani teased her trying not to chuckle.

Yankumi stopped grinning. "Get dressed? For what?" She was confused.

"Because I'm taking you to lunch today." Imani replied.

"But I already have a date with my beloved Shin." Yankumi protested and then grinned dreamily.

"Cancel it. After this week, you can have lunch with him almost every day for the rest of your life. Besides I have a few more things for you to discuss with me concerning the wedding. Can't you spare some time to have one last lunch with your little sister?" Imani pouted.

"Oh, alright, just for you. I'll cancel with Shin. When and where do we meet?" Yankumi asked.

"How about at my restaurant at noon? And please dress like you are meeting Shin for a lunch date. In other words, lose the two ponytails and the glasses."

"Tsch, Imani." Yankumi began to complain.

"I mean it, Miko. Just wear what you were going to wear to meet Shin." Imani told her.

Yankumi grumbled in an almost inaudible tone. "Of all the insufferable, intolerable, it's not like …"

"Is that complaining and grumbling I hear?" Imani asked already knowing the answer.

"Nope." Yankumi answered.

"Good, I'll see you in a couple of hours. Try to be on time." Imani told her.

"A couple of hours?" Yankumi turned to see that the clock had 10:00. "Crap, I better hurry." She hung up the phone.

"Bye sis, see you there, and don't forget to call Shin." Imani told her.

Yankumi hit her forehead with her hand. "Oh, right, Shin. I already forgot. Okay, bye. See you." Yankumi hung up racing to start the shower, call Shin, and get her clothes ready. "Uhm Shin, I'm sorry but I can't make lunch today. Something came up."

"Don't tell me. Let me guess. Is it about your fake little sister, Imani? Are you standing me up to meet her again?" Shin asked sounding annoyed.

"Shin, don't be like that, and don't call her my fake little sister. Don't forget that her mother's blood was shed right in front of her to save me so that makes her my blood, and she was kidnapped in my place and taken to an orphanage in Hong Kong so that makes her my sister. Besides, there is plenty of stuff left to do for the wedding and she is the one doing most of it." Yankumi explained, upset.

"Does that mean you have to jump whenever she says so? You said that she doesn't even bring up the past and told you not to feel guilty about it. So stop feeling guilty and giving in to her. Anyway, if she is doing everything for the wedding, what is the wedding coordinator for?" Shin asked.

"Don't ask me. Your mother is the one who insisted on hiring her. I told you that I didn't need it. The kumi or some of the ladies that work for Grandpa offered to organize it and wanted to keep it simple." Yankumi stated and then pictured a wedding organized by the kumi or the ladies from the club.

She and Shin were both picturing it and shivered. Yankumi shook her head. "Nevermind, bad idea. Anyway, you know I can't talk to that woman so Imani does it for me. That lady is always so frightened and nervous whenever she is around me or comes to the house, and yet she still talks down to me like I am a child or stupid whenever it comes to wedding etiquette even though I am very knowledgeable about love and romance."

Shin cleared his throat to keep from laughing and giving Yankumi a retort. "We are running out of dishes, too because every time she is here she manages to drop a tea cup or plate. She always jumps nervously like the kumi is going to eat her or something. Even Fuji gets nervous when she is around. That time a car backfired, it took three of the members to extricate her from Kyou." Both Yankumi and Shin broke out in laughter recalling that time.

"She still swears to this day that it was a gun shot. Anyway, Shin I have to go before I am late. I'll see you later this evening for dinner or tomorrow for lunch." Yankumi told him.

"That's not good enough, but I'll see you later." Shin sounded disappointed.

"Shin, I love you." Yankumi told him.

"I know. I love you too, Kumiko." He drawled her name. _And I'll see you before you know it._ He smiled to himself and hung up.

Yankumi, meanwhile rushed to get ready and meet her friend at the restaurant in time.

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(**A/N**): I am known to write extremely long chapters, but I am trying to keep my chapters shorter, which will probably mean more chapters. I'll try to break everything up appropriately however. Now for the really long explanation about this fic and my other two. I beg forgiveness and patience, but I have to justify myself. When I found fanfiction, the purpose was to get a hint of what happened in the manga since not all of the chapters have been scanlated. I never intended on writing a story because I truly enjoyed a lot of the stories out here and felt that I had nothing to add. But I felt the need to write an ending to the Jdorama since the manga was still ongoing. Before I finished that, someone commented that there are not a lot of Gokusen 2 stories. So, I had to write one. Again, I have noticed that there are not a lot of stories about what kinds of things would happen at their wedding. So, I decided to write that one too. So this is the third and final installment in the trilogy I never intended on writing.

Now that you understand why I wrote it, let me explain how to read it. Of course, if you read it as a stand-alone fiction, you should enjoy it. However, I have a mischievous side. So, this story connects my other two stories together. It is sort of a sequel to both A Jdorama ending and Gokusen 2 Lost and Found. It picks up at the end of Lost and Found and the next to the last chapter in a Jdorama Ending. I had no intention of writing one, let alone three stories. I certainly didn't intend on making them all interrelated, but it couldn't be helped. That is how it ended up. Please enjoy this story, but if you want to know how the three are related then I encourage you to read Gokusen 2 Lost and Found first. Then all of the chapters in Gokusen a Jdorama Ending, except for the last one, then read this one, and finally read the last chapter in a Gokusen Jdorama Ending. But you don't have to to enjoy this story. I think it stands alone just fine.


	2. Ch 2: What's the Worse That Could Happen

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Disclaimer

: I don't own Gokusen. There I said it. Hopefully I don't have to say it again.

**RECAP**:So far, Yankumi has had a dream about her wedding, perhaps a foreboding of what will take place during this long week. Her adopted sister asked her to meet about something important, and she canceled her date with Shin as a result to meet with her about the wedding.

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**Chapter 2: What's the Worse That Could Happen?**

When Yankumi arrived at the restaurant, slightly late, she was not surprised to find the dark skinned, wavy haired, big brown-eyed "fake little sister" (a.k.a. best friend) already seated near the window. The girl was wearing a white halter pant suit that flared out at the bottom with a v-neck front and a gold belt wrapped around her waist and hanging down the left side. She had matching white shoes with gold accents, and her wavy hair was pulled to the side in a ponytail with a gold scunci holding it in place. She had a matching white beret with gold beads patterned across it.

_She always manages to dress so cute_. Yankumi thought. Yankumi was wearing a teal sundress, a white half sweater and matching teal sandals. Her hair was down with a teal clip in the side, pulling it away from her face.

Imani saw her immediately as she walked into the restaurant and waved her over. They hugged and sat down to order. Imani looked at Yankumi. "Miko, you look so pretty. Shin is going to love what you are wearing."

"Too bad Shin want get to see it. Anyway, what about you? You are always dressed so cute. Tsuchi must be happy." Yankumi smiled.

"So, how are you? Nervous, anxious, excited, worried?" Imani asked.

"Yes, all of that and more. How did you know?" Yankumi asked.

"Well considering you tried to choke Minoru this morning, I figured you had a dream about the wedding." Imani laughed.

As they were talking, a tall, handsome, young man with thick luxurious black hair strode up to the two women. Yankumi looked up and was all smiles. "Shin! What are you doing here?"

He arched an eyebrow. "Is that anyway to greet your fiancé?" He asked.

Yankumi's mouth gaped. "Oh, sorry." Yankumi jumped up and hugged Shin and then kissed him on the cheek.

"That's better." He smiled and then turned to the other girl and glared and slightly nodded. "You."

She scowled at him. "Sawada," she greeted him. "And it's Harrison Sensei, not you."

"Then it is Sawada san to you." He continued to glare at her.

Imani stood up and glared at him, staring him in the eyes.

"You two, come on. I thought we had gotten over this." Yankumi fretted.

The two finally burst out laughing. Imani reached out to hug Shin and kiss him on the cheek. "Niisan, it's good to see you again."

Shin returned the kiss on the cheek and pat her on the head. "You too, you're adorable as always."

Yankumi looked between the two of them and pouted. "You guys, why do you keep on doing this every time you meet?"

"Because you fall for it every time." Shin put his arm around Yankumi's waist to comfort her and sat her down in the seat next to his. He kissed her on the forehead again.

"Oh, that's right. Shin, what are you doing here?" Yankumi asked.

"I invited him." Imani spoke up.

"Yes, I told her that you and I had plans for lunch. She told me that she was going to get you to blow me off, which you did, and that all three of us would have lunch together." Shin explained.

"That reminds me." Imani looked at Shin and held out her hand. Shin took out some money and gave it to her.

Yankumi looked at Imani. "Uh, Imani?"

"I'm sorry Miko, but I had to because I have something important to discuss with you." Yankumi looked at the money. "Oh, and that was just fun to do."

Then Yankumi thought back to what Imani wanted to discuss. Her instincts told her that it wasn't good. Considering her friend's past, she couldn't help but worry. "It's not another stalker is it?"

Imani laughed. "No, it's not _another_ stalker. Let's order lunch first and then discuss it."

Yankumi was in panic mode, wondering what was so important that they had to meet. So after they ordered, Yankumi scarfed down her meal and waited anxiously.

Imani looked at Yankumi and then at Shin, who nodded. She took a deep breath and began. "Well, I've checked on all of the wedding plans, and it looks like everything is okay and progressing as expected. Okay now Miko, stay calm."

Yankumi smiled weakly as she grabbed the table so hard that her knuckles turned white. "I'm always calm." She stated through gritted teeth. Shin took one of her hands and held it.

Imani continued. "I have to go to Hong Kong this week to testify in Ren's case. I leave this evening and will return either Wednesday or Thursday at the latest."

"I thought you said that this wasn't about a stalker?" Yankumi asked.

"I said it wasn't about _another_ stalker. This is about the same old stalker I had before." Imani explained calmly.

Yankumi exhaled relieved that neither her sister nor her Kurogin students were in danger until she realized the full impact of the statement.

Imani had been counting down awaiting realization to his Yankumi. _Five, four, three, two,_ …

"But wait a minute who's going to help me get everything done this week?" She grabbed Imani's hand. "You promised that you would be here to help me through this. I'm no good at all of this girly crap. What about the flowers, the dresses, the hotel, the reception, the dance lessons, the etiquette lessons for the kumi, my hair, my hmph …"

Yankumi would have continued but Imani signaled Shin, and he engaged Yankumi's mouth in a deep, passionate kiss, which halted her tirade midstream and took her breath away. When Shin released her, Yankumi was still shell-shocked from the kiss, breathing heavily, and smiling dreamily looking at Shin.

Imani continued. "Don't worry, Miko. I've given everyone instructions and plans. Fujiyama sensei , Kawishima sensei, and Natsumi should be able to handle everything. Besides, everyone has my phone number, and the wedding coordinator and Sawada san know to call me first if anything happens. If they can't reach me, they know to call the others. It'll be fine." She pat Yankumi's hand.

"And they can always come to me if all else fails." Shin said. Imani and Yankumi looked at Shin blankly and then turned back to each other.

"Like I said, I'll be available by phone if anything happens." Imani continued. "I know I promised to be here for you, but I have to go testify. If I don't they may let him out on parole, and you know he'll find a way to come after me again. He still sends me letters."

Yankumi gasped. "What!!" Yankumi's devil face came out, and Shin gave Imani an accusing look.

Imani hit herself on the head. _I forgot she didn't know and isn't supposed to know_.

"So, how long has this been going on, and just when were you going to tell me?" Yankumi had a deep, eerily calm voice.

"Uhm, since he was extradited to Hong Kong. At first, I returned the letters unopened, but then Daddy told me I should keep them and use them against him as evidence at his trial." Imani told her.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier? I thought the judge said he was ineligible for parole." Yankumi was still eerily calm.

"He has been fooling them with really good behavior, and there is a new judge presiding. I didn't tell you because you had enough to worry about." Imani explained.

"But …," Shin captured Yankumi in another kiss causing her to relax again. She then smiled and transformed from devil mode. "Does Tsuchi know?"

"He knows about the trial but not about the letters. Please keep that from him. He wanted to go with me, but he has a new volume of the manga to release so I refused to let him come with me. He is too busy. Everything should be fine. I'll make it back in time for the wedding. Everything is already in place so don't worry." Imani gave Yankumi a bright smile.

"Okay." Yankumi wasn't convinced but felt better.

Shin put his arm around Yankumi's waist. "Relax, I'm here for you too. You can depend upon me. You always could. Besides, what's the worst that could happen?"

Imani and Yankumi gasped, looked at Shin shocked, and cringed. Although Imani hadn't been raised yakuza, she knew that they were highly superstitious and that that was the worst thing you could ask. It was like tempting fate.

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After lunch, they parted and Shin spent the rest of the day trying to distract Yankumi. As he drove, he glanced at her out of the corner of his eye noting how fidgety and preoccupied she was. "Are you worried about the wedding or your surrogate little sister?" Shin asked.

"Both." Yankumi replied.

"Well, don't be. Your sister can take care of herself." Shin stated.

"I know that, but she shouldn't have to. Besides, you don't know about all of the things he put her through." Yankumi said.

"Yes, I do. She told me. And she also assured me that she won't even see him, and he won't know that she is there." Shin pat Yankumi's knee.

"Eh, how do you know?" Yankumi asked.

"She told me when she talked to me this morning. Even though we always pretend to dislike each other in front of you, she looks up to me like an older brother, and I also feel like she is my adopted future sister-in-law. So she talks to me about things. She doesn't want to burden you because you are already preoccupied. Her boyfriend would insist on living with her. Her father would make her move back to the states. And her friend in Canada would move back to Japan just to protect her. So she has no one else to confide in but me." He looked at Yankumi.

Yankumi felt better knowing that her two favorite people actually had a good relationship and got along. "So did you help her?"

"Well, I listened to her and ask her what she wanted to do." Shin replied.

"And?" Yankumi asked.

"And, she told me that she had done all that she could and would leave it to the courts, but we did go a few rounds." Shin glanced at Yankumi.

"Eh? You two fought?" Yankumi stared shocked.

"We spar often. How do you think I was able to beat you that time?" Shin asked. "She said that she can read the bodyguards like a book, and that you don't wake up early enough so she needs a new opponent."

"So that's how you knew my every move that time." Yankumi nodded. "By the way did you beat her?"

"No, we drew. She's quick and quite powerful." Shin smiled.

Yankumi smiled proudly. "That's my little sister."

Shin shook his head. "You know. You too are just alike but totally opposites."

Yankumi smiled and then frowned. "Thank you, I think."

Despite this, Yankumi was still apprehensive so Shin took her out to dinner and then to a bar for drinks. By the time the bar closed, Yankumi was wasted. Shin had to piggyback her to the car and then to their future apartment. She was singing songs from yakuza movies, and singing quite badly. Shin lay her on the bed in the spare bedroom and tucked her in. He got up to leave when she grasped his shirt. Shin turned around to a still inebriated Yankumi.

"Shin."

He smiled at her. "Are you feeling better now about things?"

She nodded and then quickly shook her head as she turned pale and then leaned over the side of the bed to vomit all over Shin. He shook his head, took off his clothes and then took a quick shower. He then came back and cleaned up Yankumi and changed her into his pajama top. She looked at him. "Shin?"

He shook his head. "Don't worry. I'll marry you know matter what. Even if we have to get married outside in the rain wearing nothing, I'll still marry you." He smiled, but Yankumi panicked.

"Shin, you don't think it will come to that do you?" Yankumi looked worried.

"Don't be ridiculous." Shin smirked.

However, Shin spoke too carelessly once again not knowing how close he came to the truth.

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Meanwhile back at the bar, another lady had her head laying on the bar and was obviously inebriated. Despite her inebriated state, her hair and clothes were immaculate and tidy. She barely raised her head to shoulder height. "Barshender, give me another drink." She slurred her words and pounded the glass on the bar.

The bartender was washing glasses and looked at her. "I'm sorry ma'am, but we are closing. I can't serve any more drinks. Besides, it looks like you have had enough. Is there anyone I can call for you, or can I get you a taxi?"

She held her head up. "You don unnerstan. I'm a wedding coterminator. I mean a wedding consulate. No, I mean a wedding coroner. No, that's not it either. I'm a wedding planner, and I have the worst client ever. She's barbaric, ill-mannered, ill-tempered, and scary. She duzn have a romantic bone in her (hic) body. Her family is really scary. They are …" She paused and motioned for him to come close to her. She looked left and right and then whispered. "Yak (hic) kuza." Then she put her hands over her lips and said, "shhhh. Every time I go over there, her henchmen glare at me and look like they want to eat me. Even the dog hates me, and then that one time. They claim it was a car backfiring, but I know gunfire when I hear it. So please, one more drink." She grabbed the bartender by the collar.

He extricated himself and straightened up. "Why don't I call you a taxi?" When the taxi arrived, he helped her in.

"Where to?" The taxi driver asked the lady who was sprawled across the back seat with her purse hanging around her neck.

She waved her hand. "Jush take me to the nearesh morgue. Thash where I will end up anyway with thish client shince the only pershon I could talk to ish out of the country. Thish wedding ish going to hell in a handbashket." She passed out.

The taxi driver looked at the bartender and shrugged. "I'm sorry ma'am I need an address."

The bartender looked at the taxi driver. "I guess it can't be helped." He took out her wallet from her purse and got her license. He gave it to the driver. "Please take her to there."

The driver looked at it. "No way this is her real name?" The driver shrugged and acknowledged. "You got it buddy." The bartender handed him enough money to pay for the ride.

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So with a week to go, I'd like to say that a drunk Yankumi, a drunk wedding coordinator, and a missing bridesmaid (forgive me, absent maiden of honor, not to get ahead of myself) are the only unfortunate events that will take place during this week. I'd like to say that, but I can't. Otherwise, the story ends here, and there is no reason to continue to read on. Ah, but this is where this story and the worst week of their life begins.

So stay tuned and the reader and Shin will both find out one of Yankumi's worst fears as he is rudely awakened by a "Shiiiiiiiin!"

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(**A/N**): Although, this story has elements of my first two fan fics, I am trying to write it similar to the narration in Lemony Snickett's **A Series of Unfortunate Events,** which is one of the reasons for the title. Of course, I can't totally do that for a Gokusen story.


	3. Ch 3: The Typhoon Before the Flood

**Disclaimer**: Just for fun. That's all.

RECAP:Imani, Yankumi's maiden of honor left Japan to testify against her stalker but promised to participate in wedding events and to be available by phone if anything happened. Yankumi got drunk worried about it and so did the wedding coordinator.

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**Chapter 3:The Typhoon Before the Flood**

It was a well-known, wide spread fact that Yankumi was afraid of ghosts. Many of the kumi still had bruises from or could still feel the strangle-hold Yankumi would use on them when petrified while watching a scary movie or ghost story. But what most people didn't know was that Yankumi had an even greater fear of something else; and that was storms. Not the normal ordinary thunderstorms that would crop up occasionally due to fronts or the change in atmospheric conditions, but the super powerful storms known as typhoons in that part of the world.

Anyone who lives on an island or on the coast of an ocean or a major body of water is aware that there is a certain time of year that these storms are most likely to develop, primarily during the summer or the hotter periods of the year. Unfortunately, as a teacher, vacation and breaks also happen to coincide with those same time periods. Thus the best time to plan a wedding and go on a honeymoon for a teacher is during summer vacation and those breaks. Unfortunately, weather-wise, that is also the worst time to plan a wedding and a honeymoon due to those storms ruining such plans.

Very few people were privy to Yankumi's fear of storms, including her fiancé. That is, Shin was unaware of that fact until he had a rude awakening (or shall I say a death-like awakening) to this fact. So it was the Sunday before the wedding that the sky transformed from the black hole of night to the white super nova with a lightning strike, followed by a tone-deafening boom of thunder that would awaken the soundest of sleepers, that Shin became aware of Yankumi's morbid fear of typhoons.

If the aforementioned lightning display, followed by the bass drum boom of thunder wasn't enough to waken the dead, then the blood-curdling scream of "Shiiiiiin!!" followed by the vice-grip like hold of Yankumi's muscular arms around his neck and legs around his torso would. Granted, once awakened, her hold could promptly put one back to sleep temporarily (knocking one unconscious) or permanently.

Not the least bit groggy after having been propelled from sleep by Yankumi, Shin immediately understood the situation and quickly formulated a plan to calm down the panic-stricken Yankumi and to release himself from the strangle hold Yankumi had on him before he returned to a state of unconsciousness. Having no other choice to avoid physical harm, Shin enacted his plan and firmly but without using too much force slapped Yankumi across the cheeks. This abruptly ended the here-to-fore unending shrill cries of "Shin, Shin, Shin, Shin …" mid cry.

In fact, it seemed as if time had stopped for an eon before Yankumi untangled her limbs from Shin, freeing his body, sat straight up in the bed, placed her hands on her hips, and her face contorted into devil mode.

"Whaddya wanna go and do that for, huh?" Yankumi's voice was eerily calm again.

Shin's one and only thought was "Oh crap," but externally he remained calm as he slowly set up. "I had to do something to calm you down and keep you from choking me to death." He turned his head and neck back and forth and rubbed his neck for emphasis, hoping to gain sympathy and dispel the fire building behind her eyes.

It would have worked too had not the howling wind followed by the driving rain knocking on the window pane (as if trying to gain access), coupled with another white-out lightning strike in the sky and a thunder boom that sounded like a bomb blast occurred. Yankumi jumped back on to Shin hanging on to him as if her life depended upon it. "Shinnnnn!!" She yelled again frightened.

Once again, Shin tried to remove her arms this time by himself. "God Yamaguchi, it's only a little wind and rain. You act like the world is coming to an end, and we're about to die or something."

"A little? A little?" Yankumi was incredulous. "You call a super typhoon a little wind and rain? And people die from these storms all the time." She was panicking again until a sudden thought struck her and returned her to devil mode. "And what the hell's up with that Yamaguchi crap, SA WA DA?" She emphasized each syllable in his name angrily.

"Don't have a cow Yankumi. I was just trying to calm you down since you were panicking over a little storm." Shin said purposely.

"Oh, now it's Yankumi! And you call this storm little?" She went over to the window and pulled up the blinds. Since it was still dark outside, nothing could be seen, but Yankumi was no longer panicky. That is until lightning turned the sky white again, and the thunder boomed like cannon fire.

Once again, Shin found himself entangled in Yankumi's steel grip before he could take another breath. He was trying to untangle himself from the headlock as he spoke. "For God's sake, Yankumi, will you calm down, unless you want me to slap you again?" Shin was purposely baiting Yankumi to keep her from panicking and to keep himself from getting bruised and strangled by Yankumi's vice-grip like hold on him every time lightning struck.

Fortunately (or unfortunately depending upon the reader's viewpoint) for him, it worked. Yankumi's hands went to her hips and her face contorted to devil mode again. "Sawada Shin, what did you just say? You think you're going to freaking slap me? Well, you just better think again. If you are even thinking of slapping me, I'll render you useless from your waist down."

Shin winced at the threat, worried that she may actually carry it out. He tossed his head so that his bangs just covered his eyes, giving Kumiko his signature broody, pouty look. Although he was wearing his hair shorter, he still wore his bangs long. "Kumiko?" He drawled her name and then moved his mouth to her neck. "Do you really not want to consummate our marriage?" He ever so slightly brushed his lips against her neck.

His warm breath and the light kiss on her neck were just enough to make her knees weak and melt her insides along with her resolve. "N-no." She answered weakly.

Shin backed away and smirked. "I thought not." Shin rubbed her arm up and down. "Now Kumiko, please calm down. The storm will be over in a few hours. Isn't there anything else you'd rather be doing than panicking or fighting?"

Yankumi's eyes gaped. "Shin!? I thought we agreed to wait until marriage before we … before we … did … that." She was nervous.

"We did." Shin smirked, yawned, and got under the covers. "I was talking about going back to sleep." Shin reached for his pillow, lay back and closed his eyes.

Yankumi huffed. "Shiiin" She whined. "I can't sleep during a storm like this."

"Oh come on Kumiko, why not? It's 4:30 in the morning for crying out loud." He scoot back and pulled back the covers and pat the spot in front of him. "Hop in."

"No thanks." Yankumi turned away in a huff. "I'm going back to my own room where it's safe from temptation."

Shin smirked at her. "What, are you afraid of me being tempted by you or," he set up and moved an inch from her face again. "Or are you afraid of you being tempted by me?" He licked his lips slowly and then stuck out his tongue at her.

"Why you?" Yankumi grabbed the other pillow and attempted to hit him over the head with it. He blocked it and picked up his pillow and began to hit her back. They laughed and played until the next lightning strike.

"Shin!" Yankumi jumped and hugged Shin tight, burying her head in his chest.

"I knew you couldn't resist me." He smiled and talked into her hair. Then he stroked her hair to calm her down. He finally lay down with her in his arms and pulled the covers around them both.

As soon as Shin had managed to nod off, he heard aloud clap and felt a sharp, stinging, burning sensation across his cheek. Instead of seeing lightning, he saw stars flash before his eyes. His eyes immediately popped open to meet Yankumi's devil face, which looked even scarier with the flash of white lightning behind it.

"That's for slapping me earlier. You thought I forgot?" Yankumi asked.

He nodded. "Alright Yamaguchi, if that's the way you want to play it, it's on. Let's go." Shin got out of bed and headed to the living room, followed by Yankumi. They moved the chairs and table back against the wall. Shin rolled up the rug and put it in the hall closet since it was one of his many souvenirs from Africa. He handled it with care.

Then they bowed and got in a fight stance. He was wearing pajama bottoms, and Yankumi was wearing the matching pajama top and some shorts she had left at his (soon to be their) flat from a previous occasion. They sparred as the rest of the storm passed. When it was all said and done, they called it a draw. Shin was fully awake now.

"You want some breakfast?" He asked Yankumi.

"Naugh, I'm going to shower and go back to bed. I'm exhausted. I woke up too early this morning."

Shin scoffed, shook his head, and smiled. "I guess I'll join you."

Yankumi went to the window and looked out. "I wonder if the storm lasted long enough to flood."

"I don't think so." Shin hugged her from behind.

However, in seven hours he would find out just how wrong he was. Although the water quickly receded and there was no water visible on the streets, nevertheless a flood would surely engulf them.

**

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(A/N

): This is one of my favorite chapters. I enjoyed the Shinkumi interaction in here. I'll try to update frequently. 


	4. Ch 4: The Flood

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Disclaimer

: I don't own Gokusen, nor is this story any way related to Lemony Snicket's **A Series of Unfortunate Events**. I just like the title and to say his name.

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**Chapter 4: The Flood**

As Shin drove Yankumi home, they noticed that the streets were devoid of the usual hustle and bustle of everyday life.

"You were right, Shin." Yankumi commented noting that the streets were slick with moisture and a little water built up in the gutters of the street. It was a far cry from what she expected from the tempest that ensued them earlier that morning. "There wasn't anything to worry about. It barely looks like a super typhoon struck this morning." She smiled.

Shin nodded. "That's true around here, but we don't know if that is true near the hotel where we are getting married. It could be flooded, and we have to find a new location."

Yankumi gasped and grabbed Shin's arm. "Shin, you don't think that's true. Oh my God, what'll we do? I have to call Imani." Yankumi took out her phone and began dialing.

Shin gave her a side-long glance. "Kumiko, I was just kidding. Besides, it does you no good to call Imani. I doubt that you can get a signal yet, and even if you could, Imani is probably experiencing the effects of the typhoon right now."

Yankumi scowled and hit Shin on the arm. "Shin, don't say things like that. It's not funny. I hope Imani is okay. She's no where near as calm and collected as I am during storms." Shin resisted the urge to scoff at Yankumi's comments. "Anyway, do you really think the hotel is okay, and we won't have to have the wedding outside?" Yankumi panicked.

Shin nodded again. "Of course, I do. Look at the streets. I doubt there is any flooding anywhere or that it will affect us at all."

As usual Shin had a way of invoking events by uttering statements carelessly. For on the other side of town, there was a shop opening it's doors exactly at that time that would prove Shin was right or wrong, depending upon the reader's viewpoint.

* * *

**Flood Waters Rising**

"Oh no, Kekkon Sama, it is our duty, privilege, and honor to work with you and for you in helping our clients realize their dreams of eternal love and happiness just like our shop's mantra." _Besides, there are probably going to be a lot of eligible young elites at the wedding of a senator's son looking for cute, industrious, obliging women like ourselves_. All three young ladies shared similar thoughts as they smiled and bowed.

"Okay, we have a lot to do today. We need to check on the dresses, the hotel, the flowers, the cake, the suits, and the guest list among other things."

"Hai, Kekkon sama." The girls responded in unison.

"Okay, Ai chan, you'll check on the florist. Kokoro chan, please call the bakery. Kofuku chan, please contact the hotel, and I'll call the seamstress and the driver."

"Hai, Kekkon sama." The girls replied again, picked up the phone and pressed a line. They all looked at each other and pressed the plunger time and again.

Kekkon sama began drinking the tea that one of the girls had poured for her. She looked at the girls blank stares. "What's the matter? Can you not get through?"

They all shook their heads. She picked up the receiver and pressed a line. "No dial tone. Well, I guess the storm knocked out the phone lines. Let's all use our cell phones."

They nodded. They looked at each other again. "Kekkon sama, my phone says that the call is unable to go through at this time."

"So does mine." The other two girls commented.

Kekkon sama picked up her phone and dialed to no avail. "Well then, turn on the TV and see if they are reporting when the phone services may come back on line."

"Hai, Kekkon sama." Ai chan responded and picked up the remote. She pressed the button and had no response. Then she went over to the TV and pressed the power button. Again there was no response. She unplugged and plugged it back in and tried again. She turned to Kekkon sama and shook her head.

Kekkon sama took out a flask and poured an amber liquid into her tea. She sighed. _Lord this wedding is so much trouble._ "Okay, then let's go over all of the plans and turn on the short-wave radio."

As she found a station, the announcer reported that services would be restored within 30 minutes in their prefecture. Sure enough within 15 minutes services were restored. They jumped as the TV came on suddenly, and the phone rang. All lines were lit up.

"Ah, Kekkon sama all of the lines are lit, do you think we have that many calls?" Ai chan asked.

She waved it away. "It's probably just all of the lines being restored, but check anyway."

Ai chan answered the phone, listened and turned to the store owner. "Kekkon sama that is the seamstress for the dresses. She says that water is rising in their area, and the driver has not come to retrieve the dresses yet. She is afraid that the house will flood soon, and the dresses will be ruined."

"Oh dear, tell her to put the dresses as high as possible, and we will get in touch with the driver and find out how soon he can be there. He probably got held up due to the storm." Kekkon sama responded calmly. "When you get off the phone with her, contact the driver."

"Ah, Kekkon sama, the driver is on the phone. He says that the road to the seamstress' house is flooded and has been closed down due to high water." Kofuku chan spoke up.

"Ask him if he has GPS in his vehicle, and tell him to use it to find an alternative route." Kekkon sama responded.

The girl turned, spoke on the phone, and then turned back. "He says he does, but he can't get a signal."

"Then tell him to stop and ask someone." Kekkon sama directed. "Ai chan, is the seamstress still on the phone?" The girl nodded. "Ask her is there another route to get to her place."

"Yes ma'am." Ai chan responded.

"Kekkon sama, the driver says that traffic management has arrived and is directing them to an alternate path. He also asked the traffic director, and he says that he is about an hour away from her house." Ko chan informed them.

"Good, Ai chan give the seamstress an update and ask her if she can keep the dresses dry for another hour." Kekkon sama spoke again. The girl complied, turned back, and confirmed the seamstress would keep the dresses dry.

"Kekkon sama, it's Sawada san on the phone." Kokoro chan spoke.

"What does she need, now?" Kekkon sama sighed.

"She wants to know if we can accommodate a few more guests." Kokoro replied. "She says that she has a few extra RSVP's because their plans were cancelled due to the storm. She wanted to make sure that they were given seats of honor at the reception." Kokoro finished.

"How many?" Kekkon sama asked.

"Eh?" Kokoro responded after asking Mrs. Sawada about the number. "She says about fifty."

"Oh dear. I'll have to ask the hotel if they can accommodate that many in the current room. In the mean time, ask her to have them call us directly to give us their dietary requirements. Ko chan, please contact the hotel."

"Yes, ma'am." They both responded.

Ai chan spoke up. "Uh, Kekkon sama the hotel is already on the phone. They said that the floor above the rooms where the reception is had damage and flooded. They are hoping to clean up the mess and that there will not be any additional damage in the rooms or to the roof. They can accommodate 35 extra people by opening the adjacent ballroom. They wanted to know if they needed to change the seating."

"Ah, yes ask Sawada san to come by when she has a moment to review the seating chart. Meanwhile, Kofuku chan please call Imani and ask her to help with the seating chart. If you can't get through to her, contact Natsume san." Kekkon sama handled everyone expertly.

"Kekkon sama, the florist is on the phone. It seems that their stock of flowers for the wedding were destroyed during the storm." Kofuku chan told her.

Kekkon sama was beginning to get a headache. "Okay, tell them to ask around and find as many flowers as possible. Also ask them to get a hold of the cultivator of the flower and see if they have any in stock."

"Yes, ma'am." Kofuku responded.

"Ah Kekkon sama, it's the bakery for the wedding cake. It seems that their store has 3 cm of water in it, and the big oven that they need for the cake may not work." Kokoro spoke.

"Okay, ask them if they cannot make the cake in smaller pieces in one of the other ovens." Kekkon sama told them. "If not, ask them to get a repairman there right away to see about fixing the oven or ask if they can borrow the hotel's. Also tell them that we need to have enough cake for seventy additional people."

"Yes, ma'am." The young lady affirmed.

"Kekkon sama, it's a Mr. Fists of Fire. He wants to know if it is too late to RSVP for four people for the Oeda clan's ojou's wedding. He says that two of them don't need a seat. They will stand. He also wants to know if there are any weapons bans." Ai chan asked.

Kekkon sama shook her head. "Tell him it's still time, and ask if there are any dietary restrictions, and tell him that there are no weapons restrictions. After that, call Fujiyama sensei and tell her what's happening with the flowers. Then call Kawishima sensei and tell her what is happening with the cake. Finally, call Imani and tell her about all of the issues."

"Yes, ma'am." They all responded and began calling, but before they had a chance, they were flooded with even more calls.

Two hours later when the flood of calls finished engulfing them, they had a deluge of issues for the wedding. The driver managed to pick up the dresses but had to find another alternate route back to town and got stuck in flood waters. He was rescued from the flood waters only to have his vehicle break down due to water damage. They couldn't get another driver from the delivery service.

Seventy additional people RSVP'd due to changes of plans because of the storm, fifty from the Sawadas, and 20 for the Oeda clan's ojou.

The roof of the additional reception room at the hotel was damaged by the flood on the above floor and caved in, and the only space they had to accommodate the number of additional guests was the floor below it, which was unsecure.

They had enough flowers for the wedding, but not the reception, and the only cultivator of the flower in the area had had his greenhouse destroyed by a heavy object turned into a projectile by the typhoon's wind.

Finally, the bakery had a repairman come, thanks to Sawada san's insistence. However, they needed a part to repair the oven that wouldn't be in stock until Thursday, and it would take a day to repair the oven and a day to bake the cake, which would not be done in time for the wedding.

After the efforts of Fujiyama sensei, Kawishima sensei, Natsume chan, Sawada san, and even Shin failed to resolve the problems, and after they were unable to contact Imani despite more than 20 attempts, they had no other choice than to make the one last dreaded call.

* * *

**Flood Stage Maximum**

And so as Kumiko was settling to have a cup of tea with her grandfather and relax and read the paper, the phone rang at the Oedo clan house that evening setting off a new flood. "Ah, Ojou, it's Kekkon sama." The sound of the crash indicated yet another tea cup falling victim to Kekkon sama's presence although remote.

"Eh, what does she want?" Tetsu shrugged and handed Kumiko the phone. She listened and then responded. "Eh? The driver has the dresses, but is stuck and can't get back and you want to know if I know of a driver." Kumiko scratched her head. _Maybe Four Fingers Fujiwara is available_. She thought. "Huh, I need to approve moving the reception to a less secure floor because the roof caved in the other one, and we have 70 additional people that are coming? I also need to approve the new seating chart and tell them who can and can't sit next to each other. Uh, I guess it's okay to go to a less secure floor. What, my mother's favorite flower is not available to decorate the reception area? We may need to change the cake because the baker's oven is broken and the part won't come in in time to make the cake. Do we have a hostess club or restaurant with a big enough oven? Uhm, that, I don't know if I can help. What about Imani? I see. You've left messages, and she hasn't returned them. Oh, okay. Uh, I'll call you back." Tetsu, Minoru, and Kyou were waiting for Yankumi to finish to ask what happened.

"Ah Ojou what's wrong? Is there anything we can help with?" Minoru asked.

"What's wrong?" Kumiko's face went devil mode. "What's wrong? Everything is wrong. My dresses are stuck in the mud. I don't have any flowers for the reception. The roof of the hotel caved in where we are supposed to have the wedding and the reception. Seventy freaking people decided to RSVP today, and I have to figure out where to put all of them. My cake may not be done in time, and you want to know what's wrong!!" Yankumi was yelling at this point.

"Ah, Ojou is there anything we can do?" Tetsu asked.

"I don't suppose you can sew me a dress or have a spare tow truck lying around do ya? Or can ya bake a freakin huge cake for 70 extra people? How about do you know where I can get about 300 flowers for my reception? Or maybe you can FIND ME A ROOM BIG ENOUGH TO ACCOMMODATE 70 EXTRA PEOPLE, OR BETTER YET WHY DON'T YOU CALL THEM AND UNINVITE THEM?" Yankumi was yelling and had Tetsu pulled up by the collar and against the wall.

At this point, Shin walked in and grabbed Yankumi's arms. "How about we let Tetsu san down and calm down?" Shin had raced over to the house once he had received the phone call about all of the issues, and he made just it in time. "Look at me Kumiko. Everything will be just fine. We'll figure something out together. Let's calm down first and think." Shin shuttled her to the floor to sit down.

"Everything will be fine?! Who are you kidding? Right now, I have no dress and no place to have the wedding. We'll be naked and outside just like you …" Kumiko stopped mid sentence, went back into devil mode, and slapped Shin.

"God, Kumiko, what was that for? You already got me back for slapping you earlier to calm you down during the storm." Shin rubbed his cheek.

They heard a crash as Tetsu and Minoru were trying to hold Kyou back and disarm the sword he had instantly picked up to kill Shin when he heard that Shin had slapped Yankumi.

"This is all your fault." Yankumi said eerily calm. "You just had to ask what's the worst that could happen and say that even if we had to get married naked and outside, we would."

"Kumiko, don't tell me that you really believe this is my fault or that my words could effect this outcome?" Shin asked. "You aren't superstitious?" He asked and then looked at all of the kumi and saw them nodding incredulously at Shin. _Never mind, I know the answer to that. I shouldn't have asked._ "Look, we'll call Imani and see if she has any suggestions."

"But they have already tried calling Imani and couldn't get through." Yankumi protested.

"I'm sure the lines have been restored by now. They were probably also affected by the storm and couldn't get through." Shin reasoned.

"You're right. Okay, I'm calm. I'll call her." Yankumi took out her phone, dialed, and waited. When no one answered, she left a message. "Imani HELP! Everything is going wrong. I don't know what to do. Please fix it for me." Then she called back repeatedly to tell her everything that was wrong. She hung up and looked at Shin menacingly. "You! Don't utter words carelessly or else." She headed for him when his cell phone rang.

"Hello, just a second." Shin kissed a frazzled Kumiko on her forehead. "I'll be right back I have to take this." He walked outside for a distance.

Tetsu and Minoru looked at each other and were gesturing and making signals. Minoru crossed his arms in front of his face. "But Aniki, that was for your engagement to Ojou." Minoru said in a low voice.

"Eh?" Kumiko said, not hearing Minoru's comments.

Tetsu hit Minoru over the head, and he finally went and got a box and bowed before Kumiko. "Ah, Ojou, if you can't find a dress, we would be honored if you could wear this." They pushed it towards Kumiko. She opened the box and took out a beautiful white silk kimono with gold embroidery. It was exquisite. Shin came back in just in time to see it as she held it up. She hurriedly put it away as Shin smirked.

"Shin, don't look. This may end up being the wedding dress if we can't resolve things. You know it's bad luck for the groom to see the bride's dress before the wedding. It's not like we need any other bad luck." Kumiko looked flustered.

"True." Shin agreed. "But I don't think you really want to wear that for the wedding." Shin arched one eyebrow and then picked the dress back up and turned it around to the back where the devil logo was.

Kumiko's face contorted into a similar expression. "You guys." She growled in a low tone. "Are you trying to make fun of me? Eh?" She yelled and had both Minoru and Tetsu in a headlock before anyone knew what was happening. Both Shin and Kyou moved to either side of Yankumi to dislodge her arms from the kumi members' necks, when her phone rang.

Shin stood up. "Ah, Kumiko, don't you think you should pause to answer your phone?"

Yankumi didn't budge one bit squeezing Minoru and Tetsu tighter. "Can't you see I'm busy? You answer it or better yet take a message. I don't want to hear any more bad news from Kekkon sama."

He shrugged and picked it up, talking for a while. "Ah, I think you may want to take this call." Shin reached to give her the phone.

* * *

**Flood Waters Receding**

In Hong Kong, Imani consistently attempted to get a signal and call Japan. She knew that her surrogate sister was afraid of storms and wanted to check and make sure that she and everything else was okay. Finally when she got a signal, she saw that she had 71 messages. At first she thought it was a mistake, but when she checked, there were 71 messages, 35 from Kekkon sama and her assistants, ten from Tsuchi checking if she was okay, five each from Fujiyama sensei, Kawishima sensei, Sawada Natsumi, and Shin's mother, Sawada san, and five from Yankumi. Actually it was one really long message from Yankumi, but she kept running out of time and had to call back four more times to complete her message, a panicked summary of all the other calls about all of the problems. Finally, there was one call she hadn't expected. So Imani returned the calls in order of importance. She dialed Kumiko's number.

"Eh, Shin niisan? Where is Miko? Oh, choking the life out of Minoru and Tetsu. Okay, well so how was it? Was there any damage?" Imani asked.

"The storm? It was fine. There wasn't really any real damage unless you count all of the minor hiccups we are having with the wedding plans." Shin responded.

"No, I mean Miko's fear of storms. Were you able to handle it okay? Did you have to hit her or knock her out or did she damage you in any way holding on to you for dear life?" Imani tried not to snicker.

"Oh, that. That was no big deal. I just used my charm and grace to calm her down." Shin replied nonchalantly. "After all, I am her fiancé. How did you know, and if you knew, why didn't you warn me? How did you handle her?"

"Yeah, you fought. I bet you used a charming right hook." Imani chuckled. "Any way, I found out when she spent the night with me during one typhoon. Why should I warn you? After all, you are her fiancé. Shouldn't you find out about your wife on your own? And I used the sleeper, her favorite elementary school move." (**A/N**: Thanks to BlackJack7's Growing up Yakuza for use of this section) "But that's not why I called. Let me speak to Miko, and then I'll return the other 69 calls I received and get back with you on that other matter later."

Shin turned to Yankumi. "Ah, I think you may want to take this call."

Yankumi released Minoru and Tetsu and answered the phone. "Miko, stop worrying and stop trying to kill the kumi members. You won't have anyone left to help out with the wedding if you keep trying to kill them at this rate." Imani joked.

"Maaaaniiii!" Kumiko whined. "I won't be getting married if things keep going so badly thanks to Shin's stupid comments." She turned to glare at a shrugging Shin. "What are we going to do? Everything is going wrong."

"Like I said, calm down. I received everyone's messages, and I have a plan. I wanted to calm you down first, and then I will call Kekkon sama and give her the details. I will also call everyone else to let them know their role. But in the mean time, I want you to stay calm and think of either a new design or flower to use for the reception. Okay?" Yankumi nodded. "I promise it will all go alright. I've got a lot to do, so I'll call you later."

Imani hung up and dialed the wedding coordinator. "Good evening Kekkon sama, how are you? Did you and your staff weather the storm okay?"

"Imani, thank god. Yes, we did, but the wedding plans didn't fare so well. Do you have any idea how awry the plans are going? I take it you received all of the phone calls. Honestly, you haven't even been away for a day." Kekkon sama exhaled, relieved.

"I'm glad to hear that you are okay. Now, JUST WHAT THE HELL DID YOU THINK YOU WERE DOING CALLING KUMIKO!? You know she can't handle these things. I have resolutions for you on all of the problems. But don't YOU EVER CALL KUMIKO AGAIN IF A PROBLEM ARISES, ONLY TALK TO ME." Imani shouted.

Kekkon sama shrank back from the phone. "Okay." She whispered.

"Now, listen and listen well. For the dresses, call a rental car company and get an ATV to go pick up the dresses from the driver. In the meantime, fax the patterns, any pictures, and the materials for the dresses to my clothing store. I'll call them and tell them to expect it. Next, call all of the flower stores and ask if they know of another cultivator. If not, call the cultivator and ask if he knows anyone else who grows the flower. In the meantime, you need to have your assistants design alternative decorations for the reception, either using the reduced amount of flowers, another flower, or some design that does not use flowers at all. Have Fujiyama sensei call around to find out if there are enough fake flowers to use instead. I'll call my boyfriend and ask if he can use his source to get the flower and also check to see if they cultivate the flower anywhere in China and have enough to use for the reception and can get them in time for the wedding. If we have to go with an alternative design, call Miko and let her know and make the decision. Next, call the hotel and find out if they have any other rooms that will seat the number of people plus, take the one on a less secure floor if you have to, but make sure they have more than one alternate room available. Tell Sawada san that she will need to provide additional security if it goes to a less secure floor. When the seating chart is complete, have Kawishima sensei take it Kumiko for approval. As far as the oven at the bakery, call my restaurant and find out if they have a big enough oven or tell them the part and see if they have it in stock at the restaurant. They would gladly provide it to you at no charge once I make a phone call to them. Was that it, or did I miss something?"

"Ah, no, thank you so much Imani Sensei. You may have saved the wedding." _And my liver from another drink. _Kekkon sama replied once again composed.

"Fine, just report back to me as soon as you get everything resolved, and remember not to call Kumiko again and upset her. If you do, I'll be much scarier than any of the kumi members you've faced so far. Good bye, I'll let all the wedding party know to expect your call."

"H-H-H ai, Sensei ." Kekkon sama replied in a small voice and dialed.

Within three hours Kekkon sama called to report that they had resolved all of the issues. They rented a Hummer and were able to get the dresses back to the shop safely, Tsuchi's source came through for the flowers, they found a few more rooms on the same secure floor for them to use, and Imani's restaurant provided the bakery with the part they needed to fix the oven.

Imani hung up relieved and called Kumiko to put her at ease. There was only one more matter to resolve. "So, what does Kuma need, Shin?" Imani returned Shin's call.

"How did you know it was about Kuma and that he needed something?" Shin asked. "Never mind, I don't have to ask."

"So, what's up?" Imani asked.

Well earlier. _(__**Flashback to earlier)**_

"Ah, Sh, Sh, Sh, Shin, Shin, is Yankumi anywhere near you?" Kuma asked nervously.

"Eh, Ku …?" Shin began.

"NO!, Don't let anyone know it's me. I have a problem because of the storm with the rehearsal dinner. I don't want her to know." Kuma shouted at first and then whispered.

"Just a minute." Shin stepped outside of Yankumi's hearing. "Okay, it's safe. Go ahead."

"Y-y-y-you see the problem is that the meat supplier has flood damage, and his freezer is on the fritz. So, if I don't come pick up the meat today and find some place to store it, it'll go bad, and I won't be able to get meat from another place since I already paid for it with these guys." Kuma stated hurriedly.

"Geez, Kuma, why didn't you wait to pay him until after you picked up the meat, and do you have a way to pick it up or even store it?" Shin asked.

"Ah, it was cheaper if you pay Uncle Morty up front to reserve the meat. I don't have a way to pick it up or store it. What am I going to do? Yankumi will kill me." Kuma asked.

"Don't worry, I'll ask Imani. She'll figure something out." _**(End of Flashback**_) "And that's where you come in." Shin finished.

"Okay, no problem. I'll call my restaurant and ask them to get a truck and some storage space ready. " Imani answered.

So with that problem resolved, there were no more issues with the wedding plans. Except for the hotel, the missing maiden of honor, the dresses, and … well you'll find out if you continue to read the story.

* * *

**At the Hotel**

"Hey, did you hear? The owner is allowing a convention to be held here next week until Saturday since the branch where they were staying at was damaged by the storm. " The event planner told the receptionist.

"When does there convention finish?" The wedding liaison asked.

"On Saturday. It would have finished on Friday, but they had to cancel today's events. So they will move over here and perform today's events tomorrow." The event coordinator responded.

"We have a very important wedding on Saturday. I hope they don't disturb that event in any way." She thought out loud.

* * *

**(A/N**): Sorry for the long wait, but I went on travel, then school started, and I was unhappy with the chapter since there was not enough Shinkumi moments and had to rewrite it several times. The next chapter is partially completed. I'll have it out providing that I have internet access. The irony is that I may be facing typhoon conditions soon. Oh yeah, this chapter was actually meant to be with the previous chapter, but I felt that the split was better that way. Plus this chapter would be too long.


	5. Ch 5: Wedding Announcement

**Disclaimer**:I don't own Gokusen, the drama, the manga, or the anime, but I do have quite a few characters in the story.

**Recap**:Because of the typhoon quite a few of the wedding plans went awry (the flowers, the hotel, the guest list, the cake, the dresses, and the rehearsal dinner) and the wedding coordinator was unable to solve them without panicking Yankumi and Imani's help.

* * *

**Chapter 5 Wedding Announcement**

The sun lit up the sky over a calm and serene sleepy city in stark contrast to how it had begun less than 24 hours previously with streaks of lightning playing across the sky. The three households that had been in the throes of utter chaos just 12 hours earlier slept soundly after being able to resolve the conflicts that contributed to the chaos. That is, with the exception of one lone grandfather praying over his daughter's shrine.

"Ah Yuriko, our Kumiko has grown up into a fine young lady. Try as I might to shield her from the lifestyle that you rejected and the bloodline you disowned, that bloodline runs deep in her. She voluntarily stepped in when necessary and admirably so. But don't worry, she turned out fine. She has a job as a regular person. She's a teacher like her father, your husband, and she is marrying a katagi. And what a fine young man he is too. He is the son of a senator although he rejects his father's lifestyle also. He would make a great kumichou some day. Ah, but he also works in a regular industry. He is into architecture. He even designed the school that Kumiko will be teaching at after she returns to teaching from her honeymoon. He is strong as is his love for our Kumiko. He will protect her at all costs and has done so numerous times in the past already."

He completed his prayer and retrieved the morning paper that had just been thrown. He sat on the porch to drink his tea, read the paper, and smoke as usual. He turned to the section announcing the wedding and smiled at the picture of Shin and Kumiko together. "Ah Yuriko, she is just as beautiful as you were and as your mother before you. How I wish both of you could see her now. You would both be so proud." As he read the announcement, his smile disappeared replaced by a frown. Finally he bellowed as he completed reading the paragraph. "Kyoooouuu!"

Kyou came running out in his robe, sword drawn, breathing hard, and erratic heart beat due to being startled out of sleep and running full throttle down stairs. "Boss, what is it? I got ya back, whadever ya need. Is it the Nekomata clan again?"

"Kyou! Get Kekkon sama on the phone right away." He closed the paper, and as he did a smaller paper fell out. It was a tabloid journal. He read the cover. It read, "_Gangster Teacher Marries Senator's Son and Former Student_." It had pictures of Yankumi from the magazine that time that she protected Kuma after his father died. Kuroda saw red. "Call all of the Kumi. I want a meeting ten minutes ago." He read the article and yelled into the phone as Kyou brought it to him. "Kekkon, just what the hell are these announcements in the newspapers?"

The lady on the other end held the phone away from her ear as he yelled and then calmly responded. "I'm sorry, Kumichou, I don't understand. I only put the announcement in one newspaper, and that is Tokyo's biggest paper, the Tokyo Today. It should have been a perfect love story. I wrote it myself and submitted it to the editor. I thought it was very well-written. I'm sorry that you disagree with it."

"Disagree with it? Disagree with IT?! That's putting it mildly. You wrote that … that piece of garbage? To think, I entrusted you with my granddaughter's happiness and welfare because you assured me that you would take care of things. I even overlooked the disdain that you showed our clan's precious ojou for her ignorance of romance and feminine etiquette, which is not her fault considering she grew up surrounded by males. And this is how you return my trust and the faith that I bestowed on you? Even worse, you dare announce the happiest day of my granddaughter's life in a trash rag of a newspaper like Inside the Real Tokyo that is not fit to be used as toilet paper." Her grandfather's tone was menacing.

"I don't understand what you mean, Kuroda sama." She answered nervously. "I didn't submit any story to any tabloid. What I wrote was poetic and romantic. Perhaps it will sound better if it is read out loud by the original author so you can understand the intent." She took out the announcement and read it. "Well, what do you think, sir?"

"That's not at all the way it sounds in the paper." He commented icily.

"You see, it may sound worse unless it is read out loud." She smiled.

"No, that is not what is written in the paper." He spoke intensely.

"It's not?" She asked.

"Kekkon, before you say one more word, kindly get the newspaper and read it." He ordered.

She went outside, retrieved the newspaper, and read it. "Oh, my word! What is this? This is not what I wrote at all. I don't understand it. It makes it sound like she seduced him when she was his teacher, and once he came back they took up a relationship and have to have a shotgun wedding."

"Exactly! Now, I don't care what you have to do or who you have to kill, but get the announcement corrected, retracted, and make them reprint and send this out again before my granddaughter sees this debacle."

"Yes, Kuroda sama." She replied.

"If need be, I'll send the boys to back you up. They can be ready whenever and where ever you need them." He offered.

"No, sir, that is not necessary. Someone has besmirched my name and my character by changing the wording I so carefully chose and spent time preparing. This is something I have to do on my own." She had a deadly serious tone. _And I truly don't want bloodshed_. _I'll just make a quick call to Imani._ "As for the tabloid journal, I don't even know which one it is or how this happened, but I can make inquiries."

"No need. Me and the boys will take care of that little rag ourselves." He stated matter-of-factly.

"Yes, Kumichou. I apologize profusely." She bowed low and waited for him to hang up before disconnecting. _Looks like it will be a liquid breakfast for me._ She quickly prepared and downed a cup of coffee before getting dressed and heading to the newspaper with a determined stride.

Kuroda turned around after hanging up to find the entire kumi bowing and at the ready. "Kumichou, we await your orders. They all went into his study to meet. Ten minutes later they came out fierce and determined. Kyou was at the lead and reminded them. "And whadeva you do, don't let Ojou know."

"Don't let Ojou know what?" Kumiko looked between Kyou and Minoru, sleepy-eyed and with hair tousled and still pajama-clad.

"Ah, O – Ojou?" Minoru said frightened.

"Don't tell me it's a secret for the wedding?" She asked excited.

"That's right. It is something your grandfather is preparing. So please don't ask questions and act like you didn't hear or see anything." He nodded putting his finger to his lips and saying "Sh." He then covered his ears, his eyes and his mouth with his hands in succession as he had done to her when she was a child. It was his way of saying hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil.

She nodded also and backed away tiptoeing toward the stairs, mimicking his actions with her hands.

He smiled fondly, thinking of how he would miss her presence in the house when she was gone. He didn't know when it had happened, but her presence had gone from an awkward, harrowing challenge when she was seven to become an indelible part of his life. He sniffed and dabbed at his right eye unconsciously. He straightened immediately and took on a hard stance when the boss came out of the study. "Kyou, get the car and expend all resources to find out what you can about the editor of that journal." He spit after calling it a journal.

Kyou nodded and had the car. Twenty minutes later, Kuroda was striding into the editor's office chased by a disheveled, red-faced young, attractive, secretary who was calling after him. "Sir, you really can't go in there without an appointment."

Kuroda looked at the editor intimidatingly, sat down gathering his robes around him, and spoke without looking at the young girl. "Since when does the owner of the building need an appointment to check on his property and his tenants?"

Taking note of the underlying threat, the editor nodded at the young lady. "It's okay, Aoyama san. He is right. He never requires an appointment. He has an open invitation whenever he wants to visit." She nodded and left. "Now, sir, to what do I owe the pleasure of your company, Mr. Er, uhm?"

"Kuroda Ryuichirou, Oeda clan Kumichou, and the grandfather to the young lady you maligned in this so-called news journal of yours." He threw it on the desk.

* * *

**Elsewhere around the city**

A young lady picked up the tabloid journal about to read it just before Tetsu could pick it up. He glared at her. "You wouldn't be about to read such a newspaper that is not fit to blow your nose on, would you?"

Her eyes gaped, she went pale, and could only shake her head rapidly and handed him the newspaper.

He smiled. "I thought not." He grabbed the paper from her hand and all of them on the shelves and was leaving the store when the store clerk ran after him.

"Sir, you have to pay for those. You can't just take them without …" He stopped because Tetsu had turned back, glaring at him.

"There has been a recall for this piece of trash, and I'm the garbage man coming to collect this garbage. Is there a problem?" Tetsu spoke.

The clerk shook his head and held open the door for Tetsu and then bowed. "Thank you. Please come again."

* * *

**Inside the Real Tokyo Office**

The editor bowed his head and spoke. "Kumichou, what can I do for you? I am at your disposal. However, I humbly take exception to the statement that I maligned your granddaughter in my paper. As a journalist with integrity, I would never publish an article without a knowledgeable source. Now, if any of the statements are found to be false, I will gladly print a retraction and apologize profusely for my error."

"Then tell me, who is this so-called knowledgeable source who issued these false statements about my granddaughter?" Kuroda asked.

"I'm very sorry, sir, Kumichou, but as a journalist I have my integrity. I can't divulge my source. "

"Integrity? You call someone who prints lies about my granddaughter a person of integrity, a man who hides behind some unknown source a person of integrity? I do not know whether you are courageous or a fool." Kuroda remarked.

"Sir, please tell me which sections are lies, and I will do as I have offered." The editor smiled.

"The entire story is made up of lies, and you will do more than apologize and print a retraction. You will retrieve every copy that has been sent out or sold and then burn them all in my presence as is befitting of the garbage that you spew." Kuroda stood up and pounded his fist on the man's desk.

The man sat back away from Kuroda, slightly scared and anxious. He replied with a calm demeanor regardless of the fear he held within. "All of it you say? Well, are those two getting married?"

"Yes." Kuroda spat back.

"And he is the son of a senator?" The man asked again.

"Yes." Kuroda glared.

"She is a former teacher and he is her former student?" The man continued more confidently.

"Yes and yes." Kuroda was growing impatient and angry.

"She is your granddaughter?" He asked.

"Of course." Kuroda was incensed.

"You are yakuza?" He asked over confident. Kuroda glared. He smiled and nodded. "Sorry, I'll retract that. So which parts are untrue?"

"She is not involved now and neither is she interested in our activities. Nor did she seduce him. He was interested in her first. There will be no ties between my business and the senator's business. Now that you have the facts straight, I want to see every paper present and accounted for, and I need to see smoke within the next three hours." He pounded on the man's desk.

The man nodded. "I'm sorry sir. I can do my best, but I can't guarantee that my bosses will agree to that. You see, although I am at the top for the operations of the journal, I still have others to answer to. I'll have to check with them first."

Kuroda sat back and folded his arms over his chest. "Well, then make it happen. I'll wait."

The editor made a few calls and nodded and said yes after telling them what had transpired. Kuroda waited. The man finally looked up at him and spoke. "Sir, I'm sorry, but it is just not possible to do as you have asked."

Kuroda stared at the man for what seemed like hours but in fact was only five minutes. The man grew uncomfortable at the silence and Kuroda's glare. "Sir?" He asked.

Kuroda smiled icily. "I'm just trying to figure out your size, whether you are bold or just stupid."

He shook his head. "Sir, I don't understand. I've entertained you and attempted to do what you've asked. I just don't think that there is anything more that I can do for you."

As he finished talking, he heard his secretary again as the door opened, and a tall man with a scar over his eye strode in. "Sir, you can't just go in there. The editor is already busy with another guest." The man with the scar glared back at the lady, and she bowed her head. "I see. You are here with the other guest."

Kuroda spoke first. "Kyou, report." Kyou bowed and then whispered in his boss' ear and handed him a package in a large envelope. Kuroda took out some of the items in the package and nodded and then smiled. "I see. So, it is the latter. You are stupid."

"Eh?" The man replied. "But I went to the top and tried to resolve your issue. I can't help it if there is nothing we can do for you."

Kuroda chuckled. "Ah, but there is always more than one way to do things. If you want to get past a mountain, there is more than one way to do it. You can either go over the top, or you can topple the mountain by imploding the bottom." He nodded to Kyou as various employees and kumi members brought in stacks of the tabloid paper and dumped them in the editor's office.

"What, but how?" The editor was confused.

"Loyalty. Not only my members, but your staff as well are loyal to me, more so than to you. What you and most katagi fell to realize is that it takes more than strength and force to become the Kumichou of a yakuza clan. It's not just fear, but it is also respect and loyalty that gives you power. Loyalty from those following you comes for their respect and knowing that you will have their back when the time comes. That is why those who work for you are more loyal to the yakuza. Do you think that I would allow people to inhabit my building if I didn't have someone on the inside that is loyal to me in every company? After all, who would be loyal to and trust a man that would date someone the same age as his own high school daughter?" Kuroda pulled out pictures and threw them on the desk. "Maybe you are brave, or is it smart? The head of a scandal journal is involved in a scandal himself. I guess that as the head of the journal you can be sure that your scandal never makes the light. Then again, since you don't inspire loyalty in your employees any of them can take these pictures and this story to another journal and get it published. Oh, and I will gladly provide them with a source any time they want to know, and it won't be freakin' anonymous." He smiled.

The editor nodded. "I don't know the source. It was an anonymous tip sent with the pictures, but I will expend every resource to find out who it was."

Kuroda nodded and stood up. "I trust we understand each other." He threw the envelope full of pictures at the editor. "You can keep these. I have plenty." He walked out but stopped to turn back. "Remember, I want to see smoke." He turned and left.

Kyou lit a cigarette and then threw the match toward the papers and chuckled. They slowly started to smolder. He saluted the guy and left. The editor yelled for his secretary and others as he tried to stomp out the fire with his foot.

As for Kekkon sama, she called Imani to let her know what had taken place. Imani told her father what happened, and he made two quick phone calls. Then Imani called Kekkon sama back to tell her to present her father's business card to the editor and tell them what she wanted. Kekkon sama did as told. Once she presented Kenazawa sensei's business card to the editor as representing her and him being the honored uncle of the bride, they were all too happy to accommodate with whatever she wanted done. Within an hour all of the newspapers had been gathered and destroyed, leaving business men wondering if it was the typhoon that caused all of their papers to be delayed.

So within two hours, for the second time another wedding crisis would be averted without Yankumi being the wiser. (**A/N**: The first one was Kuma's issue with the meat for the rehearsal dinner. See chapter 4.) Had Yankumi been privy to the truth about the first two in a series of incidents that she would not be informed of, then the worst week of her life would have been that much worse.

Thus a simple reworded wedding announcement turned into massive operation and major loss of money for two journals that morning as will be the norm for the couple with the simple turning into a major disaster. And that was only Monday morning of that week.

* * *

**HOTEL (Still Monday Morning)**

"Front desk, this is Fujiwara. How may I help you?" The young lady asked and then listened. She hung up pale, and dialed quickly. "Doctor, can you send someone up to the 24th floor right away? Please hurry but be discreet." She nodded and hung up.

The other front desk receptionist turned to the girl questioningly. "What gives?"

"That was maintenance. Apparently, one of the workers went to check for leaks to the ballroom to begin preparations for any events that are to be held in there this week and also to make sure that no water had leaked from when the roof collapsed from the floor above. Water got between the two floors and mold built up. So, one of the workers who had checked the ceiling to search for leaks fainted." Fujiwara explained.

"Oh no. Is he going to be okay?" The other receptionist asked.

"I don't know, but we better cancel all events happening in the ballrooms on the 24th floor this week. Is there anything really big on the schedule?" Fujiwara asked.

The girl checked the schedule and then looked up dismayed, nodding. "You better get the wedding liaison on the phone. There is a really big wedding this weekend, and this is the second time we will have to move them. She is going to be ticked."

"What is our best ballroom in the hotel?" Fujiwara asked.

"The Emperial Ballroom on the fourth floor, but it is already scheduled for use for the whole week, and it is on a non secure floor." The other girl noted.

"Well check with the wedding liaison and see what her clients say. We better accommodate these people or the wedding liaison will have our heads. She has already been nervous and intense about this wedding for some reason. If we have to, we will move those convention people to another room and give the wedding party the ballroom." Fujiwara instructed her.

The other girl nodded and made the phone call.

* * *

(**A/N**) Although I am not sure that yakuza will resort to blackmail to get what they want, I felt that the point was to show how vast and quick Kuroda's resources are. (Like I would know anything about gangsta lifestyle anyway) As was pointed out, the last chapter was long. But that was necessary because I wanted to have all of the typical things that would go wrong in a wedding happen in one chapter. The rest of the chapters focus on what would go wrong in a Shinkumi wedding, which will not be typical at all.

Sorry it took so long to post, but who would have thought I would go through what happened in Chapter 3. Unfortunately, we lost power for a week and internet for almost 2 weeks. After cleaning up and throwing away lots of stuff that spoiled, I finally got around to this. I wasn't satisfied with the chapters to post it until today. I'll try to get to the next chapter, but I still have plenty to do because of the storm that passed.


	6. Ch 6: Table Manners

**Disclaimer**:This story is strictly for fun.

Recap:A simple wedding announcement turned into a showdown between Kuroda and the editor of a tabloid journal, and the wedding coordinator and the top newspaper in Tokyo.

* * *

**Chapter 6 Table Manners**

Shin picked up Kumiko for lunch that afternoon. She got in the car excited and exuberant. He kissed her as she sat back, and she went in for a deeper kiss. Shin looked at Yankumi surprised. "Hey, what gives? Your attitude went through a complete 180 since 18 hours ago."

She gave him a goofy grin and handed him the paper. "Did you see our announcement? It was so romantic although they sure took a long time to deliver the newspaper today. It came right before you did. Normally, it is here first thing in the morning."

Shin shrugged. "That's probably due to the storm yesterday, which reminds me." Shin shifted into gear and sped off. "You aren't still mad at me and think that I have cursed us and ruined the wedding?" He glanced at her from the corner of his eye.

"Naugh, I was just stressing yesterday. Of course, your stupid, idiotic, thoughtless, insensitive, curse-bearing words wouldn't cause us problems. Everything that happened yesterday was because of the storm silly." Kumiko waved it off nonchalantly.

Shin smirked. "Baka." He poked her in the cheek. "Anyway, are you sure it is okay not to give the kumi a ride to lunch since we are all going to the same place?"

"Yeah." She grinned goofily. "They insisted that we not ride together. Besides they were busy this morning with preparations. Don't worry. They'll be there on time." She was bouncing with eager anticipation in the seat.

"Are you that happy to have lunch with me or are you looking forward to marrying me so much that you can't keep still?" Shin asked unable to ignore Kumiko's mood.

"Neither, the kumi were busy preparing a surprise for us for the wedding. I'm so excited that I can't wait." Kumiko kept bouncing.

Shin thought and shook his head. "I can. I can't imagine what they could have in mind considering the surprises that they've gotten for you before." Both she and Shin pictured all of the outfits they chose for her to wear to work and then the wedding dress from the previous day. They both shivered involuntarily.

Then Kumiko sat back still and pouted. Shin looked over at her. "What's wrong now?"

"Mood killer." She folded her arms across her chest and glared at him.

"Well, this will cheer you up. We have arrived at the place where we will have lunch." Shin parked and shut off the engine.

"Why would that cheer me up? Kekkon sama is just going to look down her nose at me and click her tongue because I don't know how to eat with Western utensils. Really, why couldn't we have just had hotpot at every table, eh?" Kumiko asked.

"Don't worry, I'll help you out. I've had to do this all my life. If necessary, I can feed you." Shin gave her a sultry look and then moved in front of her. "With my mouth." He then gave her a deep kiss. As usual, all things melted away with Shin's kiss, and the two walked into the dining area holding hands.

When they walked into the room, they were surprised to find that not only was the room set formally and decorated nicely, but all of the wedding party, except Imani, and all of the kumi members, except her grandfather were there and seated.

Minami and Noda were elbowing each other laughing. "Why are you two so late?" Noda chided. "Don't tell me you two couldn't wait for the honeymoon and stopped for a quick preview, eh Shi n?"

"Yeah, Shin's saved himself for you for five years, Yankumi. Isn't about time you put him out of his misery?" Minami joined in.

"You little punks! What kind of way is that to speak about our precious pure Ojou?" Kyou hit Noda and Minami before anyone knew what had happened.

The lady in front cleared her throat and tapped the water glass with a fork. "Mm, hm, now that the bride and groom are here, we can get started. Okay everyone, I'd like to introduce myself. I am Reigi san." (**A/N**: Ms. Etiquette) Everyone gave each other odd looks at the name. "I hope you came with an empty stomach because we will be learning how to eat with Western utensils and will be practicing a lot today, which means we will be having plenty of food to sample. First of all, let's start with the way we sit." Again, everyone looked at each other oddly.

"When you come to the chair, gentlemen should pull out the seat for the ladies and let them be seated first. Usually, we sit alternating genders. So, it is boy and then girl. That is why I had the name cards at the tables. So that you wouldn't have to get up and rearrange your seats and because this is similar to the seating for the reception. Also, whenever the ladies get up or come to sit down, it is customary for the men to stand up. Does anyone know why that is done?" Reigi san asked.

"Considering how much Westerners eat, it's probably so that their fat wives have enough room to get into their seats so that they want hit their husbands' elbows as they sit down and spill something or cause them to choke." Kyou said out loud and chuckled as did all of the kumi and 3D males. Shin smirked and then returned to his stoic look when he noticed Yankumi's face.

"Ah, no that is not the case. It is etiquette to do that." The lady smiled poised. "So, let's all practice now. Gentlemen stand up and step behind the ladies' chairs. Ladies, stand. Gentlemen, pull out the ladies' chairs. Now ladies, step out a way from the chairs, and everyone push in their chairs. Good, now let's reverse it. Gentlemen, take out the ladies' chairs, and once they are in front of their chairs, wait for them to sit down and push their chairs in. Don't be in too much of a hurry or you may hit the back of their knees and make them fall. Also, be careful not to pull out the chair too far or they may wind up seated on the floor." The guys all looked at each other and smirked, but performed their duties perfectly and then sat down.

"Excellent." She clapped her hands. "Oh, and don't forget your napkins. You want to take the napkin off the plate and place it on your lap just so." She demonstrated and then looked up to catch most of the men remove the napkin from under their necks and place it on their laps. She sighed. "Now, let's move on to the table settings. I am sure that most of you have eaten steak at one time or another and are familiar with a knife and fork, but do you know why there are so many by your plates?" She smiled waiting for someone to volunteer.

"It's in case you drop one. Then, you don't have to wait to ask the waiter for another one, right?" Minami nodded and smiled smugly.

"Er, no that's not it exactly." The lady smiled, having never heard that answer before.

"Ooh, I know." Noda said. "It's so that if someone wants to taste some of your food, they don't have to share your same fork. That way you can avoid an indirect kiss." Then he turned to Fujiyama sensei and gave her a flirtatious look and a wink. "Don't worry Fujiyama sensei, I won't mind getting an indirect kiss from you if you want to taste some of my food." He picked up his fork and held it against his lips.

Fujiyama sensei gasped, covering her mouth with her hands as Yankumi growled and scowled at the former 3D students. "You insolent brats! Keep silent and listen seriously to the sensei trying to teach you idiots some good manners." She hit the table with her fist.

They bowed their heads and nodded. "Hai, Yankumi." Minami and Noda responded sheepishly.

Shin grabbed Yankumi's hand and then pat her shoulder to calm her down. Yankumi smiled and turned to the lady. "Oh, sorry. You may continue sensei." She nodded politely.

"Uhm, thank you. Okay, anyone else know why? I'll give you a hint. There are five courses at a formal dinner.

Kawashima sensei raised her hand and spoke once Reigi san acknowledged her. "It's for each course. You use a different knife and fork for each course."

"Oh, very good." Reigi san cheered enthusiastically. "That's right. You have the soup where you use your spoon, and then the salad, the appetizer, the main course, and finally dessert and tea or coffee."

"Well, if you ask me, that's just wasteful. Give me two good chopsticks or if it's sushi or sashimi, all I need are my hands. That's all the utensils that I need for a good meal." Kyou said aloud and chuckled again.

"Ah, well, yes, I supposed you could consider it a bit wasteful, but it is really so you can savor the taste of each course separately. If you were to use the same utensils for each meal, then you would contaminate the next course and would not be able to taste them individually and appreciate them." Reigi san explained.

"I don't see the point. After all, they are all going in the same place." Sugawara rubbed his stomach.

"And coming out the same place too." Minoru said laughing and elbowing Tetsu. At that all the males broke out laughing. Shin turned his head and masked his laughter by covering his mouth with his napkin and pretending to cough.

Yankumi cleared her throat loudly and glared around the room and all laughter ceased immediately. Reigi san continued. "Okay, are there any questions so far?"

Kuma raised his hand. "Uhm, which fork do you use first? And once we used all of them, how will I keep from getting confused with which one I'm supposed to use and which one I have already used?"

Reigi san smiled. "That's just what I was about to cover next. That was perfect er uhm, Mr. Bear (Kuma san)?" She picked up her glasses and placed them on her face from the chain. "Oh, Kumai san. Does anyone care to take a guess?"

"It's obvious. You start with the one nearest you first, and then move that to the outside once you finish a meal. That way you always have the clean fork nearest you." Yankumi guessed. Shin tried not to laugh.

"Uhm, that makes sense and that is a good guess, Yamaguchi sensei, but it is actually the opposite. You start from the outside and move in, and after each course, they take both your plate and the utensils that you use so that there will not be any dirty dishes or silverware on the table. To indicate when you are ready for them to take your meal, you lay your knife and fork across each other like so." Reigi san demonstrated.

"Ohhhh." Most of them said and nodded.

"Okay, are there any more questions? If not, then let's get started." Reigi san motioned for the servers to begin.

"I have one." Uchiyama raised his hand. "What is this for?" He held up a small pitchfork shaped fork with a long handle.

"Oh, I know this. That is so you can take food off of someone else's plate without messing up your sleeves." Minoru smiled and reached over toward Tetsu's plate who smacked his hand.

Reigi san shook her head. "Ah, no that is to use for seafood, especially if you are eating oysters. It is to get out the meat easier."

Just then Kekkon sama's phone rang. "Hello." She paused, and then turned to Reigi san looking pale. "I need to take this. It's the hotel." She whispered.

"Go right ahead and take it. I can handle this crowd. I don't know why you were so worried. They are no problem." Reigi san shooed Kekkon sama out of the room.

"Okay, first we'll have soup. I'm sure everyone can eat soup with no problems just avoid slurping it, please." Ms. Etiquette said.

They all ate the soup. The only problem was when Kuma and Minoru finished they picked up the bowl with their hands to pour it in their mouths and licked the bowl clean, leaving a ring around their mouths.

"That was very good everyone. I just have one small bit of advice." Reigi san commented. "You should also not pick up the bowl of soup and chug it or lick out the rest of it. You can use the bread to soak up the rest of the soup instead of lifting the bowl and drinking from it."

"If we just served hotpot, it wouldn't be a problem." Yankumi muttered under her breath.

" Okay, when you get the salad, you shouldn't just pick it up with the fork and eat it. You should use the fork to hold down the food, and then use the knife to cut it. Then place the knife down and pick up the food with the fork." Reigi san demonstrated again.

"If you ask me, that's just a waste. Why not use a tool that you could cut and pick it up with at the same time like this?" Kyou took out his switch blade and picked up a cherry tomato and popped it into his mouth. Reigi san's eyes gaped.

She sputtered and then recovered. "Th-that would be too d-dangerous. You could cut your mouth with something th-that sharp." She let out a sigh of relief as Kyou put the blade away. "Oh yes, please be careful with the tomato because if you cut it wrong, it will ..."

"Aaah." Minami squinted and scowled at Noda. "That hurt. That was right in the eye."

"It will release the juice and could hit someone." Reigi san finished.

After that, everyone was careful. In fact most everyone was hungry and focused on eating their food the remainder of the time. They practiced cutting and eating different meats and had no problems. That is, until the last main course dish, which was Cornish game hen, arrived.

"This is a little trickier to handle this time. First, because it is small, and second because you have to take the meat off the bone using a little force but not too much force."

Kyou commented. "The problem is that these knives aren't worth … crap. You need a good enough knife that can slice through bone easily." He flicked out his switchblade, easily sliced through a drumstick, picked it up with his switchblade and ate it. "Right boys?" All the kumi members took out their switchblades and began cutting their meat.

"Uhm, well th-that c –could be considered an a-alternative, but it could still be a little d-dangerous especially if someone is not used to using knives. And especially since you need to use enough force to cut around the bone, but not too much force or you will probably lose control of the food, and it may become a projectile." Reigi san chuckled nervously.

As soon as Reigi san finished talking, there was a loud scrape and then a yell. "Okay, the first time I'll forgive it. But that was the second time. You did that on purpose. You were aiming for me." Minami scowled at Noda.

Noda shook his head and crossed his hands in front of him. "No way, I'm sorry man. I didn't mean to do that."

"Yeah, just like I don't mean to do this." He picked up some of his vegetables and flicked them at Noda using his spoon. Noda ducked, and it hit Uchi instead.

Uchi was in the process of eating and seriously concentrating. He placed his fork down carefully and deliberately, slowly picked up the napkin and wiped his face, and then pushed back his chair. Finally, he picked up a roll. "This wasn't my fight. I was just minding my own business trying not to drop my food, but now you've gone and done it." He had a serious look on his face, and then he smiled as he quickly tore off two pieces of bread and threw one at Noda and one at Minami. He hit his mark with Minami but Noda ducked, and it hit Fujiyama sensei and bread crumbs stuck in her hair. Noda looked at Fujiyama sensei and then picked the crumbs out of her hair.

She put her napkin down in a huff and then turned to glare at Uchiyama. "Hmph, normally, I wouldn't lower my standards as a lady and engage in such childish behavior, but that was _my hair_. So be prepared." She took up a piece of bread and flung it back at Uchiyama. He ducked, and she hit Kawishima sensei instead.

"Shiz?" Kawashima sensei looked at Fujiyama sensei incredulously.

She covered her mouth. "Oops, I'm sorry Kikuno."

"Well, sorry doesn't cover it." She picked up some of her food and flung it toward Fujiyama sensei who ducked, and it hit Noda. At the same time Uchi flung more food at Noda as did Minami, and he was hit from three sides at once. He blinked rapidly and wiped the food off his face. Those who hit him all began to giggle, and then the food fight broke out as Noda began to throw food back in every direction.

Meanwhile the kumi were watching the fight as if it were dinner theater and enjoying their food. That is until Tetsu was hit by a misdirected piece of food. Minoru stopped eating and pointed at Tetsu laughing.

"Ah, Aniki, you should have ducked." Minoru continued to point and laugh.

Tetsu glared at Minoru. "Oh, yeah, well duck this." He replied and picked up some food and smashed it all around Minoru's face.

Minoru stopped laughing and wiped the food from his eyes, blinking rapidly and spit some out of his mouth. Kyou began to guffaw and laugh until Minoru accidentally wiped some of the food from his face into Kyou's place. He picked it up quickly and threw it away from his plate hitting someone at another table. With that all of the tables were embroiled into the food fight, with the exception of the small table where Shin and Yankumi sat and ate alone.

**

* * *

**

Outside In the Hall

Kekkon sama was dealing with her own crisis with the hotel. She listened and blinked. "What do you mean you have to relocate the wedding and reception? Doesn't the current room have enough space for the number of guests, and didn't it get spared from the flood?" The person at the other end of the line responded.

"Mold damage? Well, do you have another room on the floor below it that is big enough for the wedding?" Kekkon sama waited impatiently as the other person responded. "No, I don't want any room anywhere near where they are treating the mold." She waited again.

"I don't care if it is on a less secure floor. You will find me the biggest and best room in the hotel and provide additional security at the same cost that you quoted me for the original room." Kekkon sama yelled and then quickly lowered her voice. She waited again.

"Do you have any idea who is attending this wedding and how influential these people are? How do you think your hotel's reputation will fare when senators from this country and foreign diplomats complain that your accommodations were less than satisfactory? Do you think your precious manager can get a job with the organizers of his precious convention if a Japanese senator has cause for complaint about his only son's wedding? I don't care what convention is using that room. Move them to another room and put the wedding there. It's their last day, and they should have left already. So, I'm sure they won't mind since it is a favor to them to even be in the hotel in the first place and get an extra day at no extra cost. Now have someone fix it."

She waited for a few minutes as they responded. "No, I'll hold until everything is as I have stated." For the next fifteen minutes, they went back and forth about the arrangements until she was satisfied. Kekkon sama then contacted her employees and instructed them to make the necessary changes for the wedding. With one crisis contained, she walked back into the dining room to find a flustered Reigi san and a food fight in full swing.

Yankumi and Reigi san were both trying to calm everyone down and stop the fight when Yankumi was hit in the face by a randomly thrown piece of food. She stood up, pounding her hands on the table. "Everyone knock it off now!" She used her yakuza accent. Everyone froze at that point with food in their hands poised to throw it. "Who threw this at me?" Her tone was icy, and she glared around the room.

Shin stood up and diffused the situation. He stood in front of her, blocking all others, and then he took the food off her face and licked where it had been. "I don't know who threw it, but it certainly is delicious."

Yankumi's knees turned to jelly, her stomach tightened, and she broke out into a goofy grin. "Oh, Shin." Her tone turned into that of a lovesick teenager.

He half smiled and then sat her down. Everyone also calmed down and began cleaning themselves up and the area around them where food was lying.

Reigi san looked around dismayed. "Oh, no, it's all ruined. The tables, the class, the floor, everything is all ruined. I've failed. I'm sorry Kekkon sama. You warned me, and I failed to listen. Now the reception will turn into a mess also. I've ruined this wedding." She sat down and covered her face with her hands.

Yankumi looked over at her dismayed as well that a fellow teacher thought she had failed her students. She spoke up. "That's not true Reigi san. We've all learned a lot from you. We had a really stressful day yesterday with the wedding, and we were just blowing off steam. Your teaching couldn't have been better. Look, I can cut this chicken, I mean hen easily." Yankumi illustrated and cut a piece of chicken and held it up. "Look, and even my hen … I mean my ku … Er that is my family are all eating properly." She glared at them as all of them quickly picked up their knives and fork and began eating properly.

Minoru then bragged. "Look, I can even cut this difficult bird with my eyes closed." He closed his eyes, cut a piece, held it up, and then opened his eyes. At first, everyone applauded and smiled. Their smiles soon turned into gasps as Minoru's pinky finger on his right hand slowly fell to the side of his hand only hanging onto the rest of his hand by a piece of skin. It turned out that Minoru had used his hand instead of the fork to hold down the food while cutting and had inadvertently cut his pinky finger off. At the dangling finger, Reigi san fainted.

Kawashima sensei moved quickly and instinctively. She took a napkin and some ice and wrapped up Minoru's hand tightly. She began ordering people around. "Tetsu san, please bring the car. If we take him to the hospital right away, we can get his finger stitched back on, and he won't lose it."

Kyou replied calmly. "It's okay, cute little nurse. We got it covered. We have a specialist in repairing such incidents and sewing on body parts. Tetsu get the car. Sugawara call sensei. Minoru, hang in there." They all nodded and did as told.

Yankumi rushed over. "I'll go with you guys."

Kyou shook his head. "No need, Ojou. We got this. You just enjoy the rest of your class. You have other matters to attend to." Kyou thought back to the conversation they had with the tabloid editor that morning and didn't want Yankumi to be anywhere near any clan facilities. They quickly left.

Then, all turned their attention to Reigi san. Again, Kawashima sensei went into action and put some ice in a napkin to place on the woman's forehead. She came to after a few minutes. She was muttering. "See, I told you those knives were too sharp. You could lose a finger." She shook her head, looked around and recalled what happened. "What happened to the young man who, who …" She almost fainted again as she recalled the scene.

Kawashima sensei supported her and explained. "He should be fine. We put ice on his hand, and he went to his doctor to get stitches."

Reigi san nodded and then stood up. She thanked the nurse and then motioned to speak to Kekkon sama privately. "Kekkon sama, I'm afraid you were so right. I'm going to need a little medicine if I am to continue."

She nodded. "I'm sure that I have some aspirin here somewhere, but I think the nurse probably has a first aid kit with whatever you need."

The other woman shook her head. "Not that kind of medicine, I need your special medicine." Kekkon sama stared back at the lady blankly. "You know the kind that you have in the silver flask."

"Oh," Kekkon sama said and then looked around and discreetly passed her the flask.

Reigi san stood and announced to the rest of the wedding party. "If you'll excuse me, I will ask that they clean up and go check on the remainder of the menu." She hurriedly stepped out, and came back within five minutes looking refreshed and standing tall, although she stumbled for a second. She discreetly returned the flask to Kekkon sama who noted that it was more than half empty.

The servers came back in and quickly cleaned up the mess, followed by another set of servers who served the dessert. They all ate quickly and quietly following directions to the letter and without any further incident. Reigi san asked Kekkon sama later after everyone left. "Are you sure that we don't need to teach the maid of honor about etiquette?"

Kekkon sama shook her head. "No, she grew up in America. So she is familiar with Western culture."

"That doesn't mean that she knows anything about formal etiquette." Reigi san replied.

"True, but trust me when I tell you that this young lady is not ordinary. She is. How do I describe her?" Kekkon sama searched for the right words. "She is just like the bride only the total opposite."

Reigi san frowned, puzzled. "I don't understand."

" Let's just say the skills that the bride doesn't possess, she does. Trust me. You do not want to insult her by asking her if she needs etiquette lessons. But if you insist on pursuing it, may I be there to watch her response?" Kekkon sama asked.

Reigi san considered. "I guess I'll just have to observe her then."

Meanwhile, Yankumi had Shin rush her home to check on Minoru. By the time they arrived, he had been released from the doctor's office and was given appropriate medicine and instructions and was resting.

**

* * *

**

Tokyo Correctional Facilities

At the same time Minoru had been released, at a prison across town 30 young men were being released. They looked out surprised to find five limousines waiting for them and chauffeurs holding open the doors. They ignored them and moved to go around them when a man in a business suit came up to them and called out two of the young men's names. They turned toward him surprised. He held out his hand.

"I am Eksuh san." (**A/N:** Mr. X) My employer sent me to welcome you and to offer you a job."

"We're not interested." Hiroto replied for the 14 young men following him, who nodded in agreement.

"And neither are we." Shingou replied for the 14 men also nodding behind him.

"Really? My boss will be disappointed. After all, he is the one responsible for your release. You could at least hear his proposal." Eksuh san replied off-handedly.

They all looked at each other. Then Hiroto spoke up. "Well, you can tell your boss thanks for the release, but no thanks to the job. Now that I'm out, I don't plan to go anywhere near this place again. And I ain't doin' nuthin' that'll put me back in here any time soon."

"You shouldn't make assumptions about the job before knowing what it is. That is rude and selfish on your part." They looked at him blankly and continued to walk past. He held out his hand as if to block them and continued. "If you must know, you just need to rent a bunch of tuxedos and attend a very high-class party. I assure you there will be plenty of food and women." Eksuh san replied nonchalantly.

"No way. Even if it is legit, who wants to dress up like some sissy in a monkey suit to attend some high-class do with a bunch of stuck-up babes?" Shingou replied.

"Oh, I'm sure you will be interested in this. The 'monkey suits' as you call them are necessary to fit into the party. Don't worry. You won't have to stay in them long. We'll have a change of clothes prepared for you. And I'm quite sure the young ladies that I'm referring to will peak your interests greatly." He handed them a newspaper turned to the Lifestyle section where the wedding announcements were.

"I see. Tell us when and where and what we gotta do." Shingou replied.

Hiroto looked at it. "Yeah, so, what's this gotta do with us?"

"Look closely. Don't you recognize her say from a certain night club opening?" Eksuh san smiled.

"Yeah, that's that chick from that night. So if she's there, does that mean the other one will be there, too?" Hiroto's eyes glinted.

"Oh, I'm sure that is not out of the realm of possibilities since she is on the list of bridesmaids." He showed them a draft of the wedding program. "Well now, since that is settled, shall I take you to hear more about the job offer?"

They nodded, got into the limousines, and drove away.

**

* * *

**

Later That Evening at the Oeda compound

"Hey Miko, how did today's etiquette lessons go?" Imani asked.

"Uhm, it … went … fine." Yankumi replied after pausing.

Imani frowned. "Uhm hm, sure it did. Yamaguchi Kumiko, don't lie to me. You are a horrible liar. I can tell because you took too long to answer that everything was not fine. Now tell me everything that happened. Don't worry. That's what I'm here for, to listen to my sister's wedding troubles and comfort her."

Yankumi sighed. "Oh, Imani it was awful. Shin and I were the last to arrive, and they teased us about doing H before we arrived. And I couldn't answer any of Reigi san's questions. I felt so dumb, and then there was the food fight, and Minoru lost a finger, and Reigi san passed out and blamed herself, and they had to clean up the place before we could eat dessert, and I'm still not sure which glass I'm supposed to drink from." She wailed.

"Uhm, back up a second, Minoru lost a finger?" Imani asked.

"Yeah, the pinky finger. He cut it off when we were trying to encourage Reigi san and show her that she wasn't a failure as a teacher." Yankumi explained.

"How is Minoru, now?" Imani asked.

"Oh, he's fine. Doc stitched it up just fine. He's resting and can't do any dishes or too much with his right hand for a few days." Yankumi continued.

Imani tried not to snicker. "Well, I'm glad he's okay, but please tell him for me that next time he doesn't have to do an act of contrition just because he doesn't know how to hold a knife and fork." With that Imani burst into laughter.

Yankumi at first was puzzled. "Hey that's not funny. He …" Then she thought about it and began laughing, too. She put her head back and snorted and then finally calmed down. "I'll tell him." She wiped the tears from her eyes. "Imani, thanks."

"For what?" Imani asked.

"You're right. I do feel better after talking to you, and I didn't think I would smile after today. I just hope I won't embarrass myself on Saturday at the reception." Yankumi worried.

"You won't. Shin and I will be there to help you. Besides you just take the fork closest to you for each meal." Imani told her.

Yankumi frowned. "Huh, that's not right. You go from the outside in, and when you are finished you cross your knife and fork on your plate, and they take it away after each course."

Imani smiled. "See you did learn something. You'll do just fine."

"Yeah." Yankumi nodded. "Oh, hey, how is the court case going? Have you testified yet?"

"No, I'm on tomorrow. Don't worry. I'll be back in time for the rehearsal and wedding." They talked for 20 minutes longer and hung up.

**

* * *

**

At an office across town

"Results?" A man reading a newspaper asked.

"Even keel. Our journalistic endeavors were thwarted at the source, but we were able to entice our young friends to join our workforce." The business man replied.

The man nodded. "I see." He unfolded the paper and put it down on the Lifestyle section where he was reading a wedding announcement. "That's fine. Although our journalistic talents could not reach a wide audience, it was hand-delivered to the four most important journalistic aficionados. Besides, the 30 wedding crashers will surely convey our regards."

And so with two days completed, and four remaining until the wedding day, Yankumi found herself wiser in the ways of Western dining and etiquette but none the wiser about the wedding announcement and tabloid journal fiasco, or the impending wedding crashers, or the hotel room change. Thus, she could sleep soundly knowing that the kumi were always willing to give an arm (or in this case a finger) and a leg (you'll have to wait to read the next chapter to find out about this one) for her, even if the act of contrition was unintentional.

* * *

(**A/N**): Although I don't like spreading a day's events over several chapters, I am also trying to keep the chapters relatively short and also make sure the incidents are resolved within a chapter if possible. For those of you wondering about the group of 30 young men, refer to Gokusen 2 Lost and Found chapter 21 The Road to Graduation and Chapter 25 The Club. Kawashima sensei comes from the JDrama. She is the school nurse, and Fujiyama sensei is the one from the Jdrama. H refers to hentai. You have to look that up on your own if you want to know what that means.


	7. Ch 7: Dancing With the Kumi

**Disclaimer**: This is so my story, but it is not based on my characters. All Gokusen characters belong to Morimoto Kozueko. I just like to use them now and again.

**Recap**: The wedding party and kumi had etiquette lessons on how to eat a formal Western-style dinner. They had a food fight, and Minoru accidentally performed an act of contrition. The wedding and reception room got changed once again due to mold, and some trouble is brewing on the horizon for the wedding with 30 young men getting released from prison.

* * *

**Chapter 7:Dancing with the Kumi**

**Sawada Sama's Office**

"S-sir, ah, this came for you in yesterday's mail." His secretary handed Shin's father a brown envelope.

He looked at the outside and placed it on the desk. "Well read it and summarize it for me." Sawada sama replied.

"Ah, sir, I think it's better if you take a look at it for yourself. I'm not sure if I can summarize this." She held out the envelope.

He took it, opened it, read it quickly, and his face grew flush. He picked up the envelope again and looked for a postmark. He looked at the woman. "Who sent this, and how did it get here?"

The secretary picked up a phone line. "I don't know, but I'll check on it right away." She listened and nodded. "Okay, find the tape of that time, and the signature of the delivery person and bring it to us the moment you have it. It is extremely important." She hung up and looked at the senator. "Sir, someone hand-delivered it. The receptionist is looking through the log for all deliveries and trying to find the person's signature for entering the building. They are also searching the videos for the delivery person corresponding to that person's signature and who signed and received it."

"Let me know as soon as you get it." He dismissed her and perused the paper. "Oh, and get me the editor of this rag newspaper on the phone and have someone ready to go in a van and pick up all copies of this rag."

"Yes, sir." She nodded and dialed. "Sir, the editor is on the line now."

They conversed for a few minutes, and he hung up relieved. Then he asked the secretary. "Please, call my wife, and then cancel the van. It would seem that my son's future in-laws took care of those newspapers yesterday." He said with disdain.

"Sir, the video tape and registry have arrived. Would you like me to call your wife or wait?" His secretary asked.

"No, let's investigate first and then give her a call." They watched the tape only to see that whoever delivered the letter had a ball cap, a jacket, sunglasses, and gloves. The person also made sure to avoid facing the cameras at all times. Then they checked the registry.

The secretary read it. "Ano ni mosuh? That's a strange name."

Then the senator thought. "That's because it is an English word, anonymous. Someone is being clever, but not clever enough. I don't like this. Get my wife on the phone." The secretary complied and put the call through.

"Oh, good morning dear, I'm glad you called. I was just about to call you. I have good news. Kekkon sama just called and told me that she managed to book the Emperor's Ballroom at the hotel. That is the biggest and best room they have at the hotel. It was the one I wanted initially, but there was a scheduling conflict. I'm so excited. It's the first piece of good news I've had on this wedding all week. Oh, I'm sorry dear. What is it you called for?"

"It's about this wedding. You are right. It is all bad news. I don't know what's going on, but I don't care. I want this wedding cancelled right away." Her husband ordered.

His wife was shocked. "C-cancelled? But why?"

"Just get it done. I have an appointment now. Good bye." He hung up and left his devastated wife in shock.

Sawada Kyoko was searching her mind for answers. She was distraught trying to figure out why he would want the wedding cancelled. She had to figure it out and quick. She was pacing, talking to herself, and wringing her hands. She was so caught up into her own world that she didn't notice when her daughter came into the room and approached her until she touched her mother.

"Mom, what's wrong? What has got you so distraught that you are pacing and talking to yourself? Don't tell me that it is the wedding again?" Natsumi asked.

"It's your father. He wants to cancel the wedding for some reason." Her mother sounded upset.

"Cancel it? But why? And why at this late date?" Natsumi searched her mind for answers. "I mean I know that he opposed their relationship and the wedding from the beginning, but I thought that he had finally come around. He even kind of helped with the wedding plans. After all we went through if anything he should have said something about cancelling on Sunday when we had all those problems that seemed impossible to solve."

Her mother nodded. "I know. So something must have happened between then and now that we don't know about. I don't know what it is, but no matter what we need to find out and correct it. No matter what, this wedding must take place this weekend."

"Mom." Natsume looked at her. "It sounds like you approve of and like Yamaguchi sensei."

"It's not that I like her." Her mother said. "It's not that I don't like her either." Her mother quickly countered. "It's like you said. We've spent so much time, money, and effort on the wedding that it's too late to cancel. Also, we have all of these foreign dignitaries and people coming. It would be embarrassing to cancel it now."

"Mom." Natsumi chastised her mother.

"Okay, okay. It's true. I have grown fond of the girl even though I don't think she is good enough for our Shin. After all, she is barbaric, uncouth, and the granddaughter of a gangster. But …" Her mother continued as her daughter was about to protest. "But, she loves Shin. She has a good heart, and she is a good teacher getting all of those juvenile delinquents to graduate and inspiring them to achieve things. Also, it's obvious that she makes our Shin happy. He smiles all the time when she is around. I've never seen him so happy. He usually goes around with a bored expression or a smirk. I've introduced him to plenty of girls from good family backgrounds, and from what I hear he always manages to offend them or scare them off. So it's obvious to me that if she is the one who can make him so happy and whom he waited for all these years, then she is the one for him. She's probably also the only one who can handle him. I'm sure it was her that made him come to us to introduce us to her formally and announce their engagement. There is no way he would have come otherwise. That is why no matter what we have to find out what is causing your father to want to cancel the wedding and correct it. I want my Shin to be happy."

Natsumi nodded. "Well, if anyone would know, it would probably be Kekkon sama."

"Yes, but I need to talk to her in person to find out." Her mother said.

"Well, we have dance class today. So, she'll probably be there. I'm sure if we show up early you can have an opportunity to talk to her." Natsumi smiled.

"That's true. What time is the dance class?" Her mother asked.

It's at 11:00 a.m." Natsumi responded.

"Okay, then I only have to wait two hours. That shouldn't be too difficult." Her mother smiled. However, for the next hour she paced, talked to herself, and wrung her hands so much that Natsumi got the car keys and left early to go to the dance practice.

Fortunately, Kekkon sama was also there checking on arrangements. She turned around, startled to see Sawada san. She pasted on a smile and greeted the woman. "Sawada san, why, what are you doing here? Not that you aren't welcome at any time, and I am not glad to see you, but you certainly don't need any dance instruction. "

"Oh, I thought you may need another female participant with experience to help out with the dance class since the maiden of honor is not here." Sawada san replied smiling.

"Oh, well thank you, how thoughtful of you. We certainly could use someone with your many years of experience." Kekkon sama continued.

"Well, I'm very glad to be able to help. If you have a moment, I would like to discuss the wedding plans with you." Sawada san continued.

"Oh, what about them? Oh, is it about moving to the Emperor's Ballroom? Don't worry. I have my assistants making all of the necessary arrangements. They have gotten more flowers to decorate the reception, and they are calling all of the guests personally to let them know that that is where we will be having the wedding, followed by the reception."

"Well, yes, I definitely wanted to thank you for getting that room. How did you do it? I remember that I requested that room at first for the wedding, but they said it was unavailable. Did you by any chance use my husband's name or title?" Sawada san asked.

"Well, I did tell them that it was an important person's son, but I didn't mention your husband by name. I also told them since they had to move us so many times it was only fair that they give us a better room for the same price." Kekkon sama told her.

"Moved us so many times? I thought it was just the one time. Might there be anything else that happened with this wedding that you are not telling me?" Sawada san.

Kekkon sama thought and remembered the wedding announcement. _No we took care of all that. It couldn't be that. It's best if they don't know anyway._ Kekkon sama smiled. "Oh no dear, just some trivial matters. It is nothing important enough to concern yourself with that we have not taken care of already. Oh, look there is the dance instructor. Excuse me. I must see to her." Kekkon sama rushed away to talk to a blonde, foreign lady in her forties that moved gracefully with and stood erect.

Within the next 30 minutes all the others arrived and went into the studio to begin practice. Kekkon sama introduced the lady. "Okay everyone, this is our dance instructor. She's a former member of the Russian ballet, and she has also won many international ballroom dancing contests. She is here to teach you a simple waltz. So please give her your full attention. I give you Valeria Ivanovich."

"Well at least she has a normal foreign name." Yankumi commented to Shin.

The woman strode forward and looked around. She spoke Japanese with a Russian accent. "As Kekkon sama said. I am Valerina Ivanovich. But you may call me "Mistress of the Dance." She then bowed flamboyantly.

Yankumi said under her breath. "I spoke too soon."

"First of all, dancing is about movement, rhythm, grace, and flow. Dancing begins with how you walk and how you stand. So everyone, chest up and out, shoulders back and down, heads high, chin forward, neck straight and long, spine also straight and long, stand tall, stomach in, knees slightly bent, and a smile on your face." As the dancer was talking she walked around with a staff and touched people with it to straighten their posture.

When she came to the kumi, they all gave her menacing looks. Kyou told her. "Lady, don't even think about coming this way with that stick unless you won't it lodged in an uncomfortable place."

She quickly turned back to the others and continued. "Okay, now that we are all standing correctly, I will need a volunteer to help me. I understand that you are all at various levels. Some of you are experts." She looked at Sawada san, Natsumi and Shin. "Some of you have some dance experience and have rhythm." She looked at the school nurse and the English teacher. "And some of you have no rhythm whatsoever." She looked at the 3D boys and the kumi. "However, I can turn even an ungraceful elephant into a graceful swan, especially with a dance as simple as the waltz."

"Ah, can't we do something more racy like a Latin or Salsa dance?" Fujiyama sensei asked and rolled her hips to illustrate. "The waltz is so boring."

Noda nodded in agreement as his nose began to bleed.

"How about a traditional Japanese dance?" Yankumi asked and began to dance the Kyomai, but it looked more like she was doing an impersonation of a mime being stuck in a box. Everyone grimaced.

"So, I need a volunteer." The dancer continued. She walked around the group and looked everyone over. She stopped at Shin and smiled. "Ah, you, you will do nicely, very nicely indeed." She gave him a sensuous look. Yankumi missed it, but others noted it. She nodded at the door as some others joined them. "Okay, now watch closely as I demonstrate the basic steps. Ladies, please take note of my footsteps and my movement. Gentlemen, please take note of this fine young gentleman's steps. Once we are done, you will have a turn with my dancing assistants. Then, when I think you have got it down, you will practice with your partners. Okay, music please. Young man, please look into my eyes and lead me to the dance floor." They began dancing, and Shin led her around the floor perfectly. "Notice, you never leave your partner's eyes. That way you can follow each other's every move, and your partner can communicate with you through his eyes what he wants to do with you. I mean which way he wants you to move. You and your partner become one when you dance. Look intently into each other's eyes like you are making love with each other through your eyes."

At that, everyone looked at each other and frowned. Then she stopped. She curtsied to Shin, who bowed in return. "Thank you handsome young virile, man. You dance divinely and handle me well. Okay everyone get a partner. Remember to stare at them in the eyes. Women, let the men guide you. Men, remember telegraph to the ladies which way you want to go through the eyes. We will do it slowly without music, and then with music. Ready, 1-2-3, back 2-3, turn 2-3, stop. Gentlemen, please look up at your partner's eyes not at your feet or her feet, unless that is the thing you find most attractive about your partner." They all snickered at that. She began counting again and went around to each couple. "No, no, no, no." She stopped at Yankumi. "Young lady, you are leading and at your own beat, too. Please, let him guide you. Here, let me help you. Okay again." She counted off and danced with Yankumi, leading her around.

Yankumi blushed and stated under her breath. "Why can't we do a traditional Japanese dance?" They stopped and changed partners again. "Okay, I think it is time for the music." She put on the music and danced with Shin again while the others were practicing. She watched everyone. They practiced for another 20 minutes, and then took a break. "Okay everyone, grab some liquid to replenish your thirst, and then we will dance with different partners. Thank you all for your time, my students. Now you may go and rest." She bowed to them, and they all returned the bow. "Everyone grab a partner."

Yankumi headed toward Shin to dance with him, when the dance instructor stepped in front of her and whisked him away. Yankumi had a scowl on her face and was fuming. Tetsu came over and bowed to Yankumi. "Ah, Ojou, I'd be honored if you would dance with me." She looked at him and then nodded.

The music began and they all began to dance. The dancer waltzed around the room looking at all the couples. She noticed that everyone was dancing awkwardly now that their professional partners were gone with the exception of Kyou and Sawada san. He danced quite gracefully. "Stop!" The dance instructor stopped all other couples and turned their attention. "Everyone, notice how the two of them dance in rhythm. He is leading her, and she is following his every move, gracefully I may add." They all stopped and stared and then clapped as the music ended.

"Wow, Kyou, you dance so well. Where did you learn to dance like that?" Yankumi asked.

"Oh, well, I once dated a stri…, ah that is a ballerina who was supporting herself through school by doing uhm ah waitressing work. She liked to go out to clubs and dance after work. So, she taught me a few of her moves, and I taught her a few of mine in return." He smiled and winked at the fellows. "Man, was that bird flexible." Kyou reminisced, smiling.

"Anyway, let's continue and try to dance together. The more you dance together, the more you get used to it." The dancer said. "Okay, let's begin again."

This time she paid attention to Shin mostly. "So, I hear that you are the groom. It's a shame really. Such a handsome young man as yourself getting married so young. Are you sure you are ready for such a responsibility?" She asked.

He looked over at Yankumi and smiled. "Yeah, I've been waiting for five years. It's been too long actually."

The dancer sniffed. "Eyes on me, remember." Shin turned toward her. "I hear that the bride is older than you and was your former instructor. Is that true?" She asked.

"Yes." Shin replied.

"Well then, if you like older women and instructors, why not give me a shot?" She pulled him closer to her. "After all, I have so much more experience than she does, and I am flexible. I can bend and stretch in all kinds of ways."

"No thank you." Shin responded immediately.

"What? Why not? You didn't even give it any thought. I'll be discreet and take full responsibility. You should reconsider." The dance instructor replied.

Shin smiled. "No thank you. I don't need to consider anyone else because she is the one for me. She is also very flexible, and finally I'm afraid that she'll kick my butt if I even think of another woman, not that I would."

"Oh, so you are afraid of her. Is that it? I don't see why you would be afraid of such a small woman. And you call her flexible? I don't see how." The dance instructor shot back.

"It's because she can fight. If you see her, you will understand. On second thought, you don't want to see her fight." Shin put space between himself and the instructor.

"Hmph, I'm not afraid of any little high school teacher." The dancer tried to move closer to Shin. He blocked her.

"Well, you should be." Shin retorted.

"Why?" The instructor asked.

"Because I am standing right behind you, and I can hear every word." Yankumi responded coldly and in a low tone.

The dance instructor turned around to see Yankumi's devilized face and drew back frightened.

"Now, stop flirting with my husband or I'll bend and flex you in ways God never intended." Yankumi got into her face. The dancer moved back and away from the couple as Yankumi hooked her arm into Shin's.

The dance instructor turned back to everyone still slightly shaken. "Okay, class now let us switch partners and practice some more. I'll think I'll dance with Kyou san and let the bride and groom dance together." She chuckled nervously.

As they changed partners, the kumi ended up dancing with the teachers. Fujiyama sensei was dancing with Sugawara, and Kawashima sensei was dancing with Minoru, and they repeatedly stepped on the ladies' feet. "Ow." Kawashima stopped and looked down to rub her feet, at that Minoru looked down and accidentally hit her in the head. Kawashima sensei fell back slightly into Fujiyama sensei. Fujiyama sensei fell into Sugawara who backed into Noda and Natsumi. Natsumi let go of Noda's hands to avoid being hit, but Noda was spinning her at the time. So he ended up swinging her into Minami as he fell into Tetsu and Sawada san. Sawada san backed into Uchi and Mariko who fell. Meanwhile Tetsu in trying to keep Sawada san from falling all the way to the floor, backed into Yankumi and Shin. Yankumi felt it coming and ducked causing Tetsu to flip over her as Shin quickly spun out of the way. Tetsu managed to land on his feet, but slipped on perspiration on the floor and fell into a bunch of chairs. They all went over to check on him. Minoru ran over to help him up. As Tetsu stood, when he placed pressure on his left leg, he buckled under the pain.

Thus, the dance lesson ended in another trip to see the doctor for the kumi and a broken leg for Tetsu.

Sawada san went home panicked for three reasons. First, she wasn't sure how the first dance was going to turn out at the reception since the lesson abruptly ended with a broken leg. Second, she never did get another opportunity to talk to Kekkon sama privately to find out what could have possibly caused her husband to want to cancel the wedding. Finally, she had no idea how to convince her husband not to cancel the wedding.

Thus later that night when Sawada sama returned home, his wife had prepared his favorite dinner and served him his favorite sake. After dinner, she gave him his favorite dessert, and then waited while he read the paper. He looked over at her and asked. "So, did you cancel the wedding yet?"

"About that, dear, I don't understand why you want me to cancel the wedding. If there is a problem, we should just talk about it and fix it. I'm sure Kekkon sama can do something about it." His wife began.

He folded his newspaper, set it down, took out the brown envelope and handed it to her. She took it out to look at it. "No, the only way to avoid stories like this from coming up and besmirching my name, office, and reputation is to cancel the wedding. If we have nothing to do with that woman's family, then we don't have to worry about this."

Sawada san read the article and looked at the paper, shocked. She covered her mouth and looked at him. She then looked at the article again scowling. Then she spoke. "Wait a minute, I recognize these pictures. These are old. They are from when Shin was in her class. These aren't current."

"It doesn't matter. Anyone reading these will look into her background and wonder if this is true. Then I and my office will be under suspicion." He was upset.

She gasped. "Has anyone seen these? Has your boss seen these? Have you already been questioned about this, dear?"

"No, it would seem that our son's future in-laws found out about this and took care of it already. They had all copies of this trash picked up and destroyed." Shin's father responded.

"Then, how did you get this?" She asked.

"I don't know. Someone dropped it off at my office. They were disguised so that we couldn't see their face."

"Then everything is okay and the wedding can go on as planned." She smiled relieved.

"No, everything is not okay. It would be better if this wedding doesn't happen so that I won't have any future articles like this coming up and dragging my name through the mud. Why don't you ask your precious Kekkon sama to find Shin a more appropriate wife who won't drag the family's name through the mud? It's not like you approved or even liked the girl in the first place." Her husband took out the newspaper again and continued reading.

"Well, that may have been true at first. Although I hate to admit it, she is the best person for our Shin. She may not be the best choice for the Sawada family, but for Shin she is the best choice. No, I don't approve of her personally. No, that's not correct. I would prefer it if she had feminine qualities and proper manners. So I don't approve of the way she has been raised, but I do approve of her love for Shin. Besides, you know Shin doesn't care what we think. In fact, he could care less if we approve or not or if we attend his wedding or not. He'll get married without us being there. He would probably prefer it that way. The only reason he brought her to us formally is because of her. She asked him to come to us. There is no way he would have stepped foot in this door if it had not been for her. So, we have her to thank for that. You know that he will marry her with or without our approval. So cancelling the wedding is out of the question. Besides, it is too late. Our reputation will be even worse if we back out at the last minute with all of the foreign dignitaries coming."

"Well then, don't expect me to come. I won't be a party to the spectacle that will take place at that wedding." Her husband stated firmly.

"What do you mean? What spectacle? What are you talking about?" His wife asked.

"Don't be surprised when some criminal from their past shows up at the reception threatening everyone physical harm to get back at that grandfather of hers or one of her other family members." He surmised. (Ah, so uttering careless words that somehow come true later must run in the Sawada men's family.)

"We have security in place for that, and all guests must bring their invitations to get in to the reception. That will not happen." She assured him.

"Well whatever the case, I'm not coming." He blew her off.

His wife had the look of fire in her eyes, and she surprised him by taking his newspaper out of his hands and throwing it behind her. "Sawada Shotaro, you most certainly will show up at the wedding. Our son has not asked for anything from us for years nor wanted anything from us. He has been independent since middle school and basically, we haven't done anything for him. Now, he only asks that we be present for the most important day of his life, and you can't even give that to him. No sir, I will not face all of the Sawada ancestors and tell them that we have no heir because their stubborn son refused to let his son marry the one person he has ever loved. **So you get this straight mister. You will be at that wedding or KAKUGOSHIIYA!!"** She had her right hand in the left side of her dress, which was off her shoulder, and she stood up at that point.

For anyone who was familiar with Yankumi's devil face, they would have been just as scared of Shin's mother's face at that moment as his father was. All he could do was to bow and acquiesce. "Yes dear." He replied in a small tone. She straightened her dress and smiled sheepishly.

"Well, then, that's that. Don't forget to go for your tuxedo fitting on Thursday, dear." She left the room feeling embarrassed, yet empowered. "Oh and throw that piece of trash away. That should be the last of those junk newspapers."

**

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**

In A Small Messy Apartment

Unfortunately, Sawada Kyoko san was incorrect. That paper had purposely reached another recipient. "What's this?" The intended target opened the brown envelope and read the title. He then read the article with interest. He closed it when he finished and laughed. "So the heir-apparent is getting married, eh? And what a delicious choice of marriage mates, someone on the opposite side of the law?" He chuckled again. "Well, I guess I better buy a gift and rent a suit to pay my respects. After all, I owe so much to him. Because of him the biggest deal of my life was ruined, and I ended up doing time for him. Oh yes, I simply must be present for the big day. It looks like the gods have finally smiled in my favor and allowed me to take my revenge on the man who made my life what it is today. I don't care how many men surround him, I'll get to him or his most precious family member."

**

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**

Later That Evening

A rather distraught Yankumi was lamenting as she talked to her adopted little sister on the phone. "Oh, Imani I'm beginning to think that this wedding is cursed. If it's not one thing, it's another."

"What happened this time Miko? All you had were dance lessons today. Don't tell me someone lost a toe this time?" Imani asked chuckling and teasing.

"No, close. Tetsu broke his leg." Yankumi sulked.

"What? Tetsu? I was almost sure Shin would have been the victim after dancing with you." Imani stated under her breath.

"What? How was that?" Yankumi asked.

"Uh, no. I was just asking if he was okay. Was anyone else hurt?" Imani asked concerned.

"Yes, Tetsu is okay, and no one else was hurt. It was just well..." Yankumi told her the story.

Imani tried not to snicker, but couldn't help it as she pictured it. She began to laugh out loud fully.

"That's not funny." Yankumi pouted.

"I'm sorry, Miko. It's just that I know the kumi are willing to give their life for you at any time, but who would have thought that they had to give an arm and a leg just to prepare for your wedding." Imani began laughing again as Yankumi joined her. "They're dropping like flies over there." Imani said after catching her breath again. "But seriously Miko, don't worry about things. These types of things happen at weddings. Maybe if you use up all your bad karma before the wedding, there will be nothing but good karma on your wedding day."

Yankumi perked up. "You think so? Maybe you are right. After all, we did get the biggest and best room in the hotel for no extra charge today. Maybe I have used it up already and will have nothing but good things happen." (**A/N**: Sigh, why must they always tempt fate?)

"Well, come what may, I'll be back by either late Wednesday or Thursday afternoon to help you get through this." Imani told her. (**A/N:** Sigh, and yet again with the fate thing.)

"What? Didn't you testify today?" Yankumi asked.

"Yes, but I was last to testify today. So they didn't finish with me. They start with me tomorrow morning. And if all goes well, they'll be done with me by the afternoon, and I'll be on the next plane home. If it takes longer than expected, then I'll be leaving on the first flight Thursday morning to be here by the afternoon." Imani told her.

"Why didn't you take Uncle's plane? Then you can leave whenever you like." Yankumi asked.

"That's because Ren has a vast network in Hong Kong since he grew up here. If we took our private plane, then someone would get the word to Ren. So, it's best that we keep a low profile. We went by business class, and I was in disguise in a blonde wig and sunglasses and a ball cap. Daddy also came in disguise. It was funny. You should have seen it." Imani chuckled.

"Okay, just be careful." Yankumi said, and they continued to talk for 30 minutes longer before going to bed.

For those of you counting, there are currently four incidents that an already frazzled Yankumi was not made aware of to spare her week from being even worse. To recount: Kuma's near-fiasco with the meat for the rehearsal dinner, the two misstated wedding articles, the mold situation at the hotel, and her future father in-law's almost cancellation of the wedding and his refusal to attend. Fortunately, there are those around her who care for her enough to take care of the issues without making her privy to that information because had she been made aware of the fifth incident, all wedding preparations would have ceased at that instant, and she may not have completed the nuptials as planned.

However, those directly involved, knowing this was the case, made sure that she was never, I repeat never, made aware of the fifth incident. Thus Yankumi was able to continue on with her week happily and ignorantly is what I would like to say. The truth is that she was able to continue on with her week ignorant of those five incidents, but I wouldn't quite say that she was happy.

Ah well, let's just get on with the fifth incident shall we? You'll have to wait until the next chapter to find out about that though.

* * *

(**A/N**): I would update more frequently, but I was without Internet for a week again, inexplicably. Okay, so about this chapter. Kyomai is a type of traditional Japanese dance. If you are curious, you can look it up on-line. Oh, I forgot about the previous chapter, most of the rules of etiquette are correct. You can look them up on line to find out about the typical Western setting if you are interested. In honesty, I took a class on the proper etiquette which is why I know.

Kakugoshiiya means to "be prepared for the worst or else." Look it up in the first or second volume of the manga to find out more about it. From here on out, the rest of the chapters will be interaction between the characters more so than about the wedding. I am trying to make this more like the manga with elements of the drama thrown in for good measure. My next chapter is primarily 3D interaction. I love those guys.


	8. Ch 8: Boys Night Out

**Disclaimer**: Whoops forgot this. Yeah, no ownership of Gokusen characters from manga, anime, or the drama.

**Recap: **Shin's father received the same tabloid news article that Yankumi's grandfather had the previous day and asked his wife to cancel the wedding. She went to the dance practice to talk to the wedding coordinator to find out if anything happened. At dance rehearsal, Tetsu broke a leg ending dance practice. Shin's mother resorted to Yankumi's tactics to convince her husband not to cancel the wedding and to attend.

* * *

**Chapter 8:Boys Night Out**

Much to everyone's relief (especially the kumi's) there were no major events to prepare for the wedding that day. Thus, they had a virtually stress-free day. So that evening Shirokin 3D took Shin out for a much-needed drink.

When he arrived at the bar, they were already there with drinks in their hands. They saw Shin and called out to him. "Shin!"

He came over, smiled, and took a seat. "So, why did you guys call me out, today? Not that I minded. I've been wanting a drink for days now."

"Why can't we get together to toast our leader and best friend's last days as a free man before he is tied down to the old ball and chain?" Minami asked.

"Wouldn't it be more like a gun and blade?" Noda chuckled.

"I dare you all to say that in front of Yankumi." Uchi said.

"No way!" Noda and Minami crossed their hands in front of their faces with smiles pasted on their faces.

"You guys couldn't wait until the bachelor party on Friday to have a toast?" Shin asked secretly pleased, but teasing them.

"Yes, but on Friday it wouldn't be just the guys from Shirokin 3D. It would be a lot of other people around." Uchi said.

"Yes, and we wouldn't be able to ask you any personal questions." Noda grinned deviously.

"What types of personal questions?" Shin asked.

"Like, well, we know why you are with Yankumi, but how far have you guys really gone?" Noda asked. "I mean we know you have kissed and that she spends the night over at you guys new apartment all the time, but have you guys really not done anything? Have you really not done H?"

"Looking at the way she fights, she must be a hellcat in b…" Minami didn't get to finish because Shin downed his drink in one gulp, slammed the glass on the table, threw money on the table and got up to leave.

"If this is all you guys wanted to discuss, then I'm outa here." He scowled at them.

Uchi stood up and blocked him. "No, wait Shin. These two knuckleheads didn't mean anything." He glared at them.

"Seriously Shin, we wanted to get together to toast your wedding, congratulate you, and wish you luck." Kuma said.

Shin sat back down as did Uchi and motioned the bartender for another drink.

"And you're going to need it to handle Yankumi." Noda smirked. Shin looked at him and started to get up again when Uchi hit Noda on the back of the head and blocked Shin from getting up again. Noda rubbed the back of his head and scowled at both of the men. "I didn't mean it that way. I meant that when it comes to keeping Yankumi out of trouble or helping her when she's in trouble, Shin is the best man for the job."

They all nodded in agreement, and then Minami spoke. "Speaking of best man, uhm have you chosen your best man yet?"

Shin glanced at all of them who had stopped drinking and waited. Shin put down his drink thoughtfully. "So, that's what this is really all about, huh? That's the question you really wanted to ask, isn't it? Can't you just wait until the rehearsal on Friday? Then you will find out from Kekkon sama."

They all stared at him and shook their heads. "No."

"Why not? Why does it matter?" Shin asked.

"Well, your best man indicates who your best friend is?" Minami said. "Which would be me right, Shin? I mean you went and fought all those guys for me when I was dating that chick who already had a boyfriend at that other school." (**A/N:** See Gokusen Season 1, Episode 2)

"No, it's me. I'm his best friend." Kuma pointed to himself. "After all, I've known Shin the longest, but I asked him to let me cater the rehearsal dinner as my part in the wedding. So I won't be his best man."

"That's bull, Kuma, and you know it. You're just making excuses on why you won't get picked since you know I'm his best friend and will be his best man." Noda spoke up.

"Hold on, let's let the man speak for himself." Uchi said.

"Thanks, Uchi, but Kuma is right." Shin said as Kuma grinned smugly. "Who my best man is does not indicate who my best friend is." The others smiled and made a face at Kuma, who frowned. "I mean if I had an older brother for instance, he would be my best man even though he wouldn't be my best friend. In fact, to me you guys are all the same. You are all my best friends." Shin looked down in his drink.

The four guys all looked at Shin, and then pat him on the back. "Shin." Kuma smiled at Shin.

"Anyway, you'll all find out Friday, except the best man. He'll get told before hand since he has a huge responsibility." Shin mentioned.

"And what is that?" Noda asked. "To handle the rings?"

"Nope." Shin shook his head and downed the rest of his drink. "To take care of the maiden of honor."

"That's not such a big thing. Nothing would please me more than to take care of Fujiyama sensei. That's always been my dream anyway." Noda had a dreamy grin and look on his face.

"The maiden of honor is not Fujiyama sensei. It's Yankumi's adopted little sister." Shin told them.

"Then forget it. I don't want to be your best man. Just let me escort Fujiyama sensei down the aisle. I want a beautiful person on my arm not some … some … Wait, what is Yankumi's little sister like anyway?" Noda told him.

"Yeah, and why haven't we met her, yet? She always seems to be away out of the country or on business or something whenever we get together? Isn't she just some teacher or something? What kind of teacher is always away on business? Isn't she foreign too?" Minami asked.

Shin was thoughtful. "What is she like? How to describe her?" He considered out loud. "The best description of her is that she is just like Yankumi, only the opposite."

"Eh?" They all said, except Kuma.

Kuma nodded. "Yeah, I guess that's about right."

"Eh, Kuma, you've met her before?" The other three stared at Kuma.

He nodded. "Yes, when we went to the hot spring together with Yankumi's Kurogin 3D students."

"Oooh, what is she like? What does she look like?" Uchi asked.

"Well, it's just like Shin said." Kuma responded.

"But what about her looks?" Minami asked.

"Well …" Kuma began but was interrupted by Shin.

"What does it matter? It's not like any of you are going to marry her or anything. It's not like Yankumi will let you guys get close to her anyway. She is very protective of her little sister." Shin told them.

"Yeah, but seriously Shin, is she pretty, fat, skinny, what?" Noda asked. "You got to give us something, man."

"Okay. What are Fujiyama sensei's best features?" Shin asked.

"Easy, she's tall, thin, with creamy white skin, and long legs." Noda said imagining her.

"Ooh, if she looks like that, then she is a hottie for sure." Minami said. "I'll be your best man." They were all smiling.

"Uh no, she is the exact opposite of all that." Shin said smiling to himself.

"Ugh, she sounds like a dog." Minami responded.

"Shin, that's not …" Kuma began.

"What? She is short, with short legs, and dark-skinned. I wouldn't say that she is thin either." Shin said winking at Kuma.

Kuma nodded. "That is true."

"Then I don't want her or the job." Minami exclaimed. "Uchi, the job is all yours if you want it."

Uchi shrugged. "I'm not that much into looks anyway. I'm more into personality."

"Well, she has plenty of that." Shin said. "You'll see when you meet her Friday."

"But why hasn't she been here all week? I mean I understand when you have business to take care of, but isn't Yankumi more important than her work? Can't she take off for the wedding? Really, what does she do that keeps her travelling all the time?" Minami asked.

"She's a professor at a top university, at several top universities. She is part of a major project that is being done both in Japan and in America. So she has to travel back and forth between Japan and several states in America to oversee the project." Shin explained.

"But is she that important that they can't do without her for a week? Can't anyone else sub for her?" Noda asked. "I mean come on. This is Yankumi's first wedding. We've had to take off for it."

"First?" Shin glared at Noda.

"I … I mean only wedding." Noda chuckled.

"Actually, she is that important. But she's not out of town for business this week. She's in Hong Kong testifying against her stalker and kidnapper. If she doesn't testify, there is a chance that they will release him. He'll definitely come after her again." Shin stated matter-of-factly.

Kuma spit out his drink concerned. "What? Which stalker is it? Is it Ren, Junpei, or Kudou?"

"It's Ren. Junpei is in Japan, and he just kidnapped her. He didn't stalk her. Kudou was after Yankumi not Imani. He only kidnapped her as part of the deal with Ren." Shin replied.

The other three stared back and forth between the two men wondering. "Uhm, hello what's this about kidnapping and stalking? What does this have to do with Hong Kong? And why does Yankumi call her little sister? And just what the hell is the deal?" Uchi asked.

Shin was again thoughtful. "Where do I start? Okay, Ren, the guy in Hong Kong was Imani's childhood friend sort of. Actually, he was the son of the man who killed Imani's mother when she protected Yankumi from being kidnapped and when Imani was kidnapped in Yankumi's place. That was the first kidnapping. The kidnapper took Imani overseas to Hong Kong, where she met Ren, his son, and stayed for some months until she was placed in an orphanage in Hong Kong. So Imani and Yankumi are childhood friends. Anyway, Imani's father found her and had to adopt her out of the orphanage instead of proving that she was his child. Then 16 years later, Imani returned to Japan to teach and work on a project. That's when she met up with Ren and Yankumi again. Only, she didn't remember them because she had blocked all of that out of her mind. Anyway, Ren was one of Imani's students, and he stalked her. One of Yankumi's students tutored Imani in writing Kanji, and her stalker began to stalk him. So Yankumi got involved to protect her student, and that's when they met, remembered each other, and became sisters. Anyway, Imani's currently in Hong Kong testifying against him."

They all stared at Shin, including Kuma who hadn't heard the whole story. Then Uchi frowned. "What's with that chick and kidnappers and stalkers anyway?"

Noda was thoughtful. "Wait, if she is always getting stalked, then maybe …"

He didn't have the chance to complete his thoughts because Shin's cell phone rang at that moment. He answered, listened, and went pale. "Hi Uncle, how are you? What! She what? You gotta be kidding? So, what can I do? Is there anything I can help with?" Shin listened and nodded. "Okay, I got it. I'm on my way. Thanks." Shin hung up, sat still for a moment, and then moved into action. "Thanks, guys but I gotta go."

"Shin, what's up? Is something wrong? Is it Yankumi?" Kuma asked.

"No, that was Imani's father. She's been kidnapped. She's being held hostage." Shin stated.

"What, again?" Noda asked.

"By whom?" Minami asked.

"Ren, her stalker that she was testifying against." Shin answered.

"What happened this time?" Uchi asked.

"Apparently, he somehow found out she was in Hong Kong testifying against him, and he got to her." Shin shook his head.

"What do you mean he found out she was there? Wouldn't he already know since she was testifying against him?" Minami asked.

"No." Shin shook his head. "Whenever she is the vicinity of him, he goes ballistic trying to get to her. He is obsessed with her. So, they made sure that he didn't know that she was in Hong Kong testifying against him. Somehow, he found out and got to her."

"But if that's the case, wouldn't they have guards and cops protecting her. How did he still manage to get to her?" Uchi asked.

"Normally, he wouldn't be able to get to her, but she gave herself to him willingly in exchange for another person." Shin replied.

"Why would she do that?" Kuma replied.

"Because he got a hold of gun and took a little girl hostage and said if she didn't come and take the little girl's place, he would hurt the little girl. He is his father's son after all." Shin told them.

"Well when she went in there, why didn't anyone do anything or set some trap for him? Why didn't the cops storm in or anything?" Minami asked.

"Because once she got in there she found out he had a second kid. So she is staying until she can find a way to disable him and keep the other kid from being hurt."

"Oh." Kuma said.

"Geez." Minami mentioned.

"Just like Yankumi." Uchi thought out loud.

"Yeah, so I'll be off now to take care of my future wife." Shin got up to leave.

"Let me guess. They want you to break it to Yankumi." Noda said.

"No, just the opposite." Shin replied.

"What do you mean?" Minami asked.

"Her father called to relay a message to me from her. She said no matter what, I must not let three things occur." Shin explained.

"What are they?" Uchi asked.

"I can't let her boyfriend know what happened. Yankumi must never find out, and third I absolutely cannot postpone the wedding because even if she has to kill, she will be back in time for the wedding."

With that, Shin left to keep Yankumi distracted from noticing that Imani had failed to call her that evening, which was unnecessary. Fortunately for Shin and the kumi, Imani had texted Yankumi to let her know that she wouldn't call that evening, and that her phone would be off since she had to go to the Police station to discuss the initial case against Ren's father. It was a small but necessary lie.

* * *

And now with only two days to go before the wedding day, we have a calm Yankumi thinking that she had had a stress-free day and that her karma had changed, we finally find out about the missing bride's maid or shall I say abducted maiden of honor, and we have a very panicked kumi and groom trying to figure out how to hide the fifth incident.

Perhaps Yankumi was correct about her karma changing because the next morning would prove so stressful for Yankumi that she would not have time to notice that her little sister had failed to return, and Shin and the kumi would not have to rack their brains trying to figure out how to keep Yankumi preoccupied and not find out about Imani. If Yankumi were ever to find out about that incident, perhaps she would look at her stressful morning as a blessing in disguise. Being ignorant, she could only look at it as a stressful morning. So stressful in fact, that she accidentally called off the wedding.

* * *

(**A/N**): Up until the kidnapping, I enjoyed the interaction between the 3D guys. I haven't given Uchi too big a role in these first chapters because he will definitely play a very important role in the upcoming chapters. He will be the source of many misunderstandings with the Kurogin 3D guys. If you want to know more about the background story between Yankumi and Imani, see Gokusen Lost and Found, Chapters 1, 14, 15, 17, and 21. There are actually more than that, but this explains most of what Shin discussed.


	9. Ch 9: Confessions

**Disclaimer**:See Disclaimer for Chapter 7 Yoshiro is borrowed with permission from **BlackJack 7's Growing Up Yakuza**.

**Recap**:Yankumi and all had a quiet day. Shin and Shirokin 3D went out for a drink to congratulate Shin, where the guys asked about who the best man was and Yankumi's little sister. The night was interrupted when Yankumi's little sister's father called to tell Shin she was kidnapped and to keep Yankumi from finding out.

* * *

**Chapter 9:Confessions **

Yankumi was resting peacefully for the first night that week when Minoru came to wake her up quietly. She yawned and stretched hitting Minoru with a right cross in the process. She scratched her head and looked down to find herself stepping on Minoru's stomach. "Eh, Minoru, why are you just lying around like that? Don't you know that someone could have tripped over you and hurt themselves."

Minoru shook his head and stood up. "Ah, Ojou, you have a visitor this morning."

"Eh, a visitor? Who is it?" Yankumi asked.

"It's that teacher that you used to work with." Minoru told her.

"Eh, is it Fujiyama or Kawashima sensei?" She asked.

"Ah, no, it's that man that called that time." Minoru told her. Yankumi looked in the air and then shook her head. "He wears glasses." Yankumi thought and then shook her head again. "His name sounds like a monkey."

"Oh, Sawatari sensei. Why didn't you just say that at first that he is Kyoto sensei?" Yankumi asked. Minoru shrugged. "Never mind, please let him know that I will be downstairs shortly." Minoru nodded. _I wonder what he wants. Is it to congratulate me on my wedding or to beg me to stay at the current school? Maybe he wants to say a toast? _Yankumi thought as she dressed and then went downstairs.

She came downstairs with her hair down and in jeans and a t-shirt and sat down at the table across from where they were also seated. "Good morning Sawatori sensei." She bowed her head toward him. "Oh, and Sawatori san, how nice to see you too." She bowed to his wife. "Ano, did you two come to congratulate me on my wedding with Sawada?" Yankumi beamed.

"Yes, it is about your wedding." Sawatori san smiled.

"We came to tell you that we disapprove and forbid you to marry Sawada. So you must call off the wedding this instant." Sawatori sensei was firm and banged his hand on the table.

"Ehhhh?" Yankumi was taken aback. "What do you mean cancel the wedding? I can't do that. It's too late. It's this weekend. And what do you mean you disapprove and forbid it? Why?"

"Because you two were teacher and student. If anyone were to find out that you two were student and teacher while at Shirokin Gakuen, it will ruin the reputation of Shirokin Gakuen and all of the teachers and students associated with it." Sawatori sensei explained.

"But Shirokin Gakuen was torn down, and we don't even teach there anymore. Besides, we didn't have any relationship back then other than teacher and student. Our relationship was totally innocent. We didn't get together until a year and a half ago." Yankumi protested.

"Did you not go over to visit him at his apartment when he was your student?" Sawatori sensei asked.

"Well yes, but I visited plenty of my students at their homes." Yankumi responded.

"How many of them lived alone?" Sawatori sensei asked.

"That, well, I'm not really sure." Yankumi scratched the back of her head.

"And did you not cook for him and did he not come over to your house also?" Sawatori sensei interrogated Yankumi.

"Well, I wouldn't say cook. It's more like I warmed up ramen. My cooking wasn't really the best then, but it was only so he would have a good home-cooked meal, and that's also why he came over to my house. A young, teenage boy on his own couldn't possibly eat healthy." Yankumi explained.

"Does that include spending the night?" Sawatori sensei asked.

"That was only the one time when Kawashima sensei's son was here." Yankumi explained.

"Whatever the case may be Yamaguchi sensei, it doesn't look proper. Now, forget about the wedding and find someone else." Sawatori sensei commanded.

"But I love Shin. I can't do that." Yankumi replied.

"Listen dear, just do what he says." Sawatori san pat Yankumi's arm. "I'm a matchmaker in my spare time, and I can find you a really good man who is honest hardworking and strong. The kind of man you need." She opened up a portfolio. "What do you think about him?" She showed a picture of Kashiwagi, Shinohara's former partner, wearing his sunglasses.

Yankumi shook her head and crossed her hands in front of her face. "No way. I mean, eh no thank you. I love Sawada, and we are getting married on Saturday. It will be a beautiful perfect wedding." Yankumi smiled dreamily.

"Maybe so dear, but I also do wedding coordination in addition to matchmaking, and I am sure that I can coordinate your wedding better than whatever wedding coordinator that you have now. Uh, who do you have now anyway dear to plan your wedding?" Sawatori san asked.

"Oh, ah, Kekkon sama." Yankumi responded.

"Eh? Kekkon sama?" Sawatori san responded. Yankumi nodded. Sawatori san touched her husband's hand and began to get up. "Dear, let's go. It's alright."

"Huh? What's going on?" Sawatori sensei wondered.

"Well if Kekkon sama, the most famous and the best wedding planner and matchmaker in the business set this up, then there is nothing we can do. This marriage won't fail." Sawatori responded.

"Ehhhh?" Both Yankumi and Sawatori sensei responded together looking at his wife.

"Well, if that is so, then thank you Yamaguchi sensei for your time, good luck on your wedding and congratulations." He stated in a commanding voice. "Also, I would like to give a speech at your wedding if that is okay with you?" He asked in the same tone.

"That's fine." Yankumi answered in a similar tone. "Did you RSVP for the wedding?"

"No, is it too late?" Sawatori sensei cringed.

"I'll call Kekkon sama and ask her to add two more places and a speech. Do you have any dietary restrictions or food that you cannot eat?" Yankumi asked.

"No, we're not picky." Sawatori san replied.

Yankumi turned to the side and muttered to herself. "You could have fooled me."

"Eh, what was that?" Sawatori sensei asked.

"I said, thank you for coming, and I'll see you on Saturday." Yankumi stood up to escort them out, and then she sighed relieved and went to eat breakfast.

As soon as Yankumi finished eating breakfast, Minoru came to let her know that she had another guest. "Ah Ojou, there is someone here to see you."

Yankumi scowled. "Who is it this time?"

"Ah, he says he is a fellow teacher of yours." Minoru told her.

"Eh? It's not Sawatori sensei again is it?" She asked.

"Ah no. I think he is no longer teaching. I think he's into buying and selling*." Minoru said.

Yankumi went to the front room and sat down at the table across from a man in a track suit, whose head was bowed, and he was mumbling to himself. Yankumi scowled not really recognizing him at first. "Ano …"

"Ah, Yamaguchi sensei. How are you? It's good to see you again. It's Baba sensei from Kurogin Gakuen." He stood up and shook her hand. (***A/N**: Baba sounds like baibai which has to do with buying and selling.)

"Ah yes, Baba sensei, it's good to see you again, but what brings you here. Is it about the wedding? Did you want to RSVP too?" Yankumi asked. "At the last minute." She smiled through gritted teeth. "Like the others."

"Ah, no that's not it, I already RSVP'd, but I won't make it to the wedding, at least I hope I won't." Baba sensei said the last part under his breath.

"Eh? So you came all this way to say that you won't make it to the wedding. Is that it?" Yankumi asked. "If that's so, you didn't have to go through all that trouble. You could have just called the wedding coordinator and told her." Yankumi said.

"Uh no. I wanted to explain why I may not be able to make it." Baba sensei continued.

"Oh, well you don't have to explain. I probably wouldn't have even noticed that you didn't come." Yankumi said and waved him away.

He grabbed her hand and held it. "No Yamaguchi sensei, I need to explain to you why I won't be able to make it. Actually, I hope that you won't be able to make it either. I hope your wedding will be canceled and that you won't get married."

Yankumi glared at his hand holding hers, and he quickly released her looking embarrassed. She then looked up at him. "Eh? What do you mean that you hope I won't make my own wedding?" She pulled him close to her by the collar. "What do you mean you hope my wedding will be canceled? What are you talking about? What do you know? Spill it." _Does he know something that I don't? Does he think Sawada is cheating on me? Has he seen Sawada with another woman? Wait, does he even know what Sawada looks like? _Yankumi thought, paranoid.

"Ah no, I hope that you will make your wedding, but I hope that it won't be this Saturday because I hope you will cancel your wedding with him and marry me instead." Baba sensei had his head down at this point.

"Ehhhhhh?" Yankumi exclaimed and let him go. "Marry you? Baba sensei, this must be some sort of joke right. How can you tell me this when my wedding is in two days?"

He looked up seriously. "No Yamaguchi sensei, this is no joke. I've liked you every since the first day that you stepped foot in Kurogin 3D." He then bowed with his head to the floor quickly. "Yamaguchi sensei, I love you. Will you date me with marriage in mind?"

"That, it's too late. I love Sawada, and I'm getting married to him on Saturday." Yankumi said calmly.

Baba sensei looked up to find Yankumi with a serious look on her face but a tender smile. "So, if I hadn't waited until this late, would you have considered it?"

Yankumi shook her head and smiled. "But why did you wait so long anyway, especially two days before my wedding?"

"That, I tried to tell you that time at school, but you were too busy with your students. You were so dedicated to helping them that I couldn't bring myself to disturb you. Since then, secretly I had hoped that you would decide that he was no good for you and cancel the wedding yourself. I mean he is younger than you. Maybe he just wants an experienced lady, and then will dump you later." Baba sensei looked concerned.

Yankumi's face devilized. "You? What are you saying?"

"No, I just meant that maybe after a while, he will not appreciate your maturity and refinement the way an older man would." Baba sensei said quickly.

Yankumi's face relaxed and she smiled. "Thank you for coming Baba sensei. I'll see you at the wedding on Saturday, then?"

He nodded. _At least I'll get to see her in her wedding dress_. "Goodbye Yamaguchi sensei. Congratulations." He stood up and followed her as she escorted him out.

Yankumi went back in mumbling about idiotic teachers that have the nerve to disapprove of her wedding or that RSVP and confess at the last minute giving her stress that she doesn't need. She cracked her neck and rubbed it feeling the tension. "Minoru!" She yelled for him and then remembered. "Wait, his hand is recovering from an act of contrition." Then she yelled. "Never mind! Tetsu!" She yelled again. "Wait, no, he has a broken leg. So he want be of any use either." She thought again. "Yasue said that Wakamatsu is no good in the evenings after sparring with me. Sugawara is tall, but he's weaker than the rest of them. Kyou hasn't fought me seriously in years. Lately, every time he looks at me, I swear he is going to cry." _What to do_? She thought.

Then Sugawara came running in. "Ojou, there is someone here to see you. It's a teacher friend of yours."

"Another one? Well who is it, if it Baba sensei again, tell him that I am not interested in buying or selling anything that he has." Yankumi told him.

"Ah, okay." Sugawara ran and came back. "He says that it is Kujo sensei. He used to teach at Momo Academy Girls school near Kurogin Gakuen where you were a teacher."

"Oh, Kujo sensei, let him in, please. I'll be there in a minute." She ran to the bathroom to fix her hair and makeup and then stopped. "Baka, what are you doing? You don't care if he looks at you or not. You just want Shin to take notice of you." She went in to greet Kujo sensei.

"Kujo sensei, it's so nice to see you. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Yankumi smiled.

"I heard about your wedding from Shiratori sensei. She invited me as her guest. So I wanted to come by and personally congratulate you on your marriage." He smiled and sat down.

Yankumi beamed. "Thank you." Then she thought. "Wait, are you and Shiratori eh … no … So you keep up with Shiratori sensei?" Yankumi asked.

"Yes, she asked for my email address and cell phone number to keep in touch with me in case there is a job opening at my school." Kujo explained.

"I should have thought of that." Yankumi said under her breath.

"Excuse me." Kujo sensei spoke.

"Uh, no, I was just saying that I should have thought of keeping up with you and getting your information myself then I would have been able to invite you to my wedding myself. That is if you want to attend." Yankumi explained.

"I wish you had kept up with me too then maybe you wouldn't have to invite me to your wedding." Kujo sensei said.

"Huh? I don't understand. What do you mean?" Yankumi asked, puzzled. "You don't want to come to the wedding?"

"Ah, no, that's not it. It's …" He paused. "It's if we had kept up with each other, then maybe you wouldn't have to invite me to your wedding because maybe I would be in your wedding, maybe as the groom." Kujo looked at Yankumi's face and then quickly looked away.

"Ah, well you know it is the groom who decides on who the groomsmen are so …" Yankumi began and then paused. "Wait, did you say as the groom?" Yankumi pulled him by the arm to turn him around toward her.

He rubbed the arm that she had grabbed and winced in pain. "Yes, as the groom. You see that day that I called you to go to lunch with me to let you know that I was leaving. Well I actually wanted to ask you to go with me. But at the last minute, I didn't have the courage. The truth is we weren't dating or anything before that and only met as peers so I was afraid to hear your answer. Also, you were so passionate about your students and your teaching position that I didn't have the heart to ask you to leave. Then when you were forced to resign I wanted to ask you then, but I thought that you would think that I was asking you out of pity and not out of sincerity. But I was sincere then. I liked you then. Actually, I still like you now. I am sincere now." Kujo sensei turned to face her.

Yankumi's mouth was agape, and she looked shocked. "I liked Kujo sensei then, too." Yankumi confessed. "But I don't have those same feelings for you now, and I'm glad you didn't have the courage to confess then because I wouldn't be getting married now. I love my husband now, and I didn't realize it at that time that I had feelings for him then and for a long time now. So, thank you for your confession, but I'm sorry I cannot accept your feelings." Yankumi bowed.

He shook his head. "Ah no, that is okay. I didn't expect you too after all I waited until two days before your wedding day."

Yankumi frowned. "Yeah, why did you do that? Why didn't you just keep this to yourself since you kept it in for this long?"

"That's because I didn't want to live with regrets. That is, I didn't want to live with any more regrets than not confessing to you then and letting you go." Kujo sensei explained.

Yankumi nodded. "Well, it was good seeing you again Kujo sensei. Will I see you at the wedding?" He nodded. "Then take care." She escorted him out of the door. Yankumi sighed. "Now, I need to find someone to spar with. Man, I wish Imani was here. Oh yeah, I haven't called Imani, yet. I should see if she is on her way." Yankumi took out her phone. "No, if she is on her way, her phone won't be on. I'll just wait." Yankumi hung up. "I'll just have to settle for one of the kumi that is not injured."

Minoru came in at that moment. "Ah, Ojou, there is some foreigner out there claiming that he is your childhood friend."

"Foreigner claiming to be my childhood friend?" Yankumi asked confused.

"Yes, shall I send him away or show him in?" Minoru asked expectantly.

"Did he say anything else?" Yankumi asked.

Minoru thought and then recalled. "Yeah, he said something strange. He said that the kumichou would know him since we went to school together, but he looks too young to have went to school with the boss. Also, I guess he thinks that you are the boss now since he said 'she.'"

Yankumi frowned and then thought. "I'll go out and meet him." She went outside to find a tall, tanned, muscular man with long blonde hair. His back was to them. "Ano, excuse me. What business do you have here?"

The man turned around, smiled, and took off his sunglasses. "Kumichou, don't tell me you don't remember your best friend since grade school? After all the trouble that we got into and all the things that we shared." He held open his arms.

Yankumi thought, then stared into his eyes, ran, and jumped on him. "Yoshiro kun!" (**A/N**: Used with permission from **BlackJack7**'s story **Growing Up Yakuza**) Is that really you? Oh my god. You look like a foreigner. Look at you, tall, tanned, and muscular. And the hair. Wow, it's long and blonde."

He hugged Yankumi tight. "Hello Kumichou. Long time no see." He drawled and then released her and put her down. "Look at you. You're beautiful, but you've always been that way to me." He said in a low tone. "Look at the hair. You grew it out. It's long, black, and silky." He ran his hands through her hair and kept a strand of it back and kissed it. "Smells like cherry blossoms." She turned to stare at him. He released her hair and put an arm around her shoulder. "I guess you finally gave up on growing a mullet, huh?"

She laughed and led him into the house. "Yeah, Kyou tricked me into growing out my two pony tails, and before I knew it, my hair was this long."

"It looks good on you. You look good." Yoshiro told her and looked her over.

"Your hair had always been kind of long, and it was really pretty. I kind of envied you for it. It's still long and pretty, but now it's blonde. Wow, I can't get over how much you look like a foreigner. Even though you moved to a foreign country, I can't believe that you became a foreigner. And look at these muscles." She rubbed his arms and then punched him.

He winced and then rubbed his arm. "Same old Kumichou, really strong and doesn't know her on strength." He smiled at her.

"And look how strong you have gotten." Yankumi smiled.

"Well a certain someone told me that I need to become strong if I wanted to be the protector in the relationship. So I took her advice. And here I am today." He took off his jacket to show his sleeveless muscle shirt, revealing lean, taught muscles. He struck a pose with both his arms bent at the elbow, next to his head and flexing his biceps. He then winked at her and stuck out his tongue.

Yankumi laughed. "Yoshi kun, it is so good to see you. I'm glad you could make it back for my wedding. Oh yeah, how is your sister, Meiko and whatchamacallit or is it whatshisface? They got married didn't they and moved with you guys to the other country?" Yankumi looked up trying to remember."

"It's whosiwhatsit, and would you believe that they have two kids? They have a girl and a boy. I'm an uncle now and have a nephew and niece." He said.

"What about you? Are you bringing a girlfriend or maybe wife to the wedding?" Yankumi asked.

"Ah, no, I was saving myself for my first love, and I came back to see if I could convince her to date me with marriage in mind and then give up her life and follow me to the states to lead a glamorous rock star life." Yoshiro replied.

"Oh, is that what you are? Is that what you do? That explains the long hair." Yankumi nodded.

"What about you? I hear that you are a teacher. I see that you have fulfilled your dream. How is it going? Have you been able to reform all of the little juvenile delinquents and turn them into upstanding citizens?" Yoshiro asked.

"Yep, I have. In fact, many of the people in the wedding and that will be attending the wedding are either former students or my peers from schools that I have taught at." She chuckled. "I'm even marrying one of them, but he wasn't your average juvenile delinquent. He was really smart and dedicated and beneficent. He got accepted into Todai University, but chose to go to Africa instead for three years." Yankumi beamed proudly.

Yoshiro went over to her and stroked her cheek, smiling. "That's the same old Kumichou I know. Although a little rough around the edges, you cared a great bit about everyone else, especially the little guy who got picked on, and you always put yourself out for others, like you must have done for your students. No wonder he fell in love with you. He couldn't help it. I still remember the first time you took out Akira, Jiro, and those guys who were picking on me. I'm surprised all of your students aren't in love with you."

Yankumi waved her hand in front of her face smiling shyly and blushing. "You are too much Yoshi kun. Oh, yeah I have to tell Grandpa and Kyou that you are back they would love to see you. They probably wouldn't even recognize you now. Wait till I tell them that you are a famous rock star."

"Well, that's not actually true. I am famous, but actually I'm more of an R&B, pop singer. I sing ballads and love songs too. If you would like, I could sing at your wedding." He moved closer to her again.

"Would you? I'd be honored. But I didn't know that you could sing." Yankumi laughed.

"Well then let me give you an example." He began to sing "Just Once" by James Ingram and stared at Yankumi the whole time, holding her hand while singing to her. Yankumi stared at him entranced although she didn't have a clue what he was saying since he was singing in English.

When he finished, Yankumi clapped. "Wow, you are good. I can't wait to hear what you will sing at our wedding."

"I'll sing the same song that I plan to sing to my first love when I confess to her, 'You Are So Beautiful To Me' by Joe Cocker." Yoshiro told her as he stroked her face. He said the name of the song in English.

"Eh?" Yankumi looked puzzled. So Yoshiro translated it into Japanese at the same time kissing her hand. "Oh, that is perfect. She'll love it. When are you going to confess?"

"I think the sooner the better. So, I will do it today." Yoshiro told her.

"Really, when? After you leave here? Is it someone that I know? Was she someone from our school?" Yankumi asked, grinning.

"Yes, she was in our school, and she is really close to me right now. I've missed her. We learned a lot and went through a lot together. We shared a lot of firsts and events together. We shared the measles, we learned about Aunt Flo, and we even shared our first kiss together. Do you know who I'm talking about Kumiko?" He looked into her face and was only a few inches away from her. She looked up at him and shook her head. "No? Then let me refresh your memory." He then kissed her on the lips lightly and backed away. "Hm, soft and sweet just like I remember." He stared at her.

Yankumi looked up at him blankly and touched her lips. "You mean me?" She pointed to herself.

He nodded. He drew her to him and hugged her to him. "Of course I mean you. Why don't you cancel your wedding and run off with me instead, eh? We could elope and leave this country. I already have your ticket, and I can get you a job as a private teacher. What do you think?"

Yankumi was in shock at first and couldn't think or speak. It was not that she was considering it. It was that she never expected this from her childhood friend, let alone that this would be the third confession for her two days before her wedding. She then shook her head. "No, I can't this is wrong. I'm in love with Shin. I'm marrying Shin. I'm sorry, but we can't do this. I can't do this. You were my best friend, and you are very important to me, but … I can't. I won't, I wouldn't." She pushed him away.

He put his head down and covered his eyes and was shaking. Yankumi thought he was crying at first.

"Yoshiro kun?" Yankumi was concerned.

He then threw his head back and laughed. "Poor Kumiko, so stressed by her wedding that she can't take a joke by her childhood friend. I'm sorry, Kumichou. It was a bad joke."

Her eyes and mouth gaped as she stared at him. Then she relaxed and began to laugh. She finally punched him hard across the arm. "Yoshiro kun, you scared me. Of course that was a bad joke. Since you have changed so much physically, I thought your personality had changed as well. You've never been that bold before. I appreciate the laugh after the morning I have had so far."

"Ha ha got you good, Kumichou. Now, please call grandfather and Kyou. I'd really like to say hello and for them to see me now." Yoshiro smiled.

"Oh, yeah, they'll be so surprised at how much you've changed. I bet they won't recognize you." She bounded off to find her grandfather and Kyou.

Yoshiro turned toward the window with his back to the hall entrance and put on his glasses to hide the sadness in his eyes. "You're right Kumiko. I've changed a lot. The only thing that didn't change is my feelings for you. I made all of these changes just for you. I guess I made them too late. That is the real joke." He sighed as he heard Yankumi returning with her grandfather and surrogate father.

"Eh?" Kyou looked around. "I don't see any surprise from your elementary school. All I see is some gaijin punk. Who is that punk anyway? Did he bring the surprise?"

Yankumi scowled. "Kyooou, he is the elementary school surprise. Don't you recognize him? Yoshiro kun."

Yoshiro turned around and took off his glasses again. "Uncle. It's me."

Kyou looked at him closer as did Kuroda. "Well, I'll be damned. If it isn't that little wimpy kid that Ojou used to protect. Woah, you've bulked up. You still got that sissy soft hair I see. It's even more like a sissy now that it's blonde. Wow." Kyou went over smiling and then lunged suddenly for his face. Yoshiro ducked moved away and took a fighting stance. "Well, the boy's learned some moves, too." Kyou jabbed at him again and then stopped before hitting him and pat him on the back. "Nice job. I'm glad to see that you have done something with yourself."

Yoshiro bowed to Kuroda then. "Grandpa, it is an honor to see that you are well."

"Yoshiro kun, it is also a pleasure to see that you are well. What brings you here?" Her grandfather asked and motioned for all to sit down.

"I'm here to congratulate Kumichou, er that is Kumiko for her wedding. I also wanted to stop by and see you first. I also came to tease Kumiko, but I guess my little joke went too far." Yoshiro smiled in her direction sheepishly.

"Eh? What joke?" Kyou asked.

"Oh, I confessed to her and asked her to run away with me and dump the groom, but I guess she didn't find that funny. I'm really sorry Kumiko. I didn't mean to tease you, but I couldn't help it." Yoshiro smiled.

"Well, it would have been funnier if that hadn't been the third confession that I received today. But after I realized it was a joke, I had a good laugh. I needed that. You probably saved Sugawara from a sound beating." Yankumi said the last part under her breath.

"Eh?" They all asked.

"Nothing." Yankumi waved her hand in front of her face.

They continued talking for half an hour before Yoshiro left. Yankumi began to feel more relaxed after Yoshiro's visit until she received the next visitor.

"Ojou is very popular today." Sugawara came in and spoke. Yankumi looked up at him confused. "Ah, that cop, Shinohara san, is here to see you."

"Shinohara san?" Yankumi asked relieved that it wasn't Kashiwagi. "Eh, maybe Kawashima sensei came with him. Please show him in."

Shinohara san came in smiling. "Yamaguchi sensei, it's a pleasure to meet you again after this long time."

Yankumi nodded and then looked around him. "It's nice to see you too, but where are Kawashima sensei and Yuuta?"

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Uhm, ah, well, uh Kawashima sensei said that she would be getting her last fitting done today, and Yuuta will not arrive until tomorrow evening for the rehearsal. But about that …"

Yankumi nodded. "Oh, I see. Then what are you doing here by yourself? Did Kawashima sensei send you over to get something or was there something she needed?"

Shinohara moved toward the floor. "Yamaguchi sensei, may I sit down?"

Yankumi smiled. "Of course, where are my manners? Please do sit down. Tell me. How is it going with Kawashima sensei? Oh, that is if you don't mind my asking."

"Not at all, in fact that is what I would like to discuss with you." Shinohara looked at her. "Look, Kikuno and I are just friends. We do get together sometimes just like I used to with all of the teachers when you taught at Shirokin Gakuen, but there isn't any special relationship between the two of us."

Yankumi looked disappointed. "Really? But I thought you took Yuuta to games and spent time with him and acted like a surrogate father to get closer to Kikuno and become like a family."

"No, I … It's true that I spend time with Yuuta, but that is because I do like him, and I don't want him to miss out on bonding with a male father-figure, but there in nothing between Kikuno and I." Shinohara looked at Yankumi's face.

"But why not? You two are so cute together. You look so good together, and Yuuta could pass for your son." Yankumi protested.

"Because Kikuno isn't the one I like." He grabbed her hand. "You're the one I like." Shinohara confessed.

"Ehhhhhhhh!" Yankumi exclaimed, looking shocked. Then she shook her head and took back her hand, staring at Shinohara. Then she broke out laughing. "Ohhhh, I get it this is a joke. You are so funny, and you had me going too just like my childhood friend earlier. Thank you Shinohara san. I'm glad you are trying to ease my tension."

Shinohara grabbed her hand again. "I assure Yamaguchi sensei that this is no joke. I wouldn't joke about something like this. I'm dead serious about this about you. I know I lost to that kid earlier, but I don't want any regrets. So I thought that I would try one more time. If the answer is no, I can live with that and live my life with no regrets."

Yankumi yanked her hand out from Shinohara's. "Of course the answer is no. You should be ashamed of yourself confessing to a married woman, especially since you have a good woman like Kawashima sensei that is interested in you and waiting for you. Now, if you really don't want to live a life of regrets, then you go try to make Kikuno happy. She deserves that." Yankumi huffed and then thought. "No, she deserves better than that, but since she is happy with you, then go make her happy." Yankumi stood up and waited to show Shinohara out.

He stood up, bowed to her, and then kissed her on the cheek. "Thank you Yamaguchi sensei. Congratulations to you and your student. Please relay to him that he is a lucky man."

Yankumi showed him to the door and watched him leave. As he left, Yankumi noticed a black sedan out front. She frowned and hurried to her grandfather's study where the door was closed. Kyou came out at that moment and was startled when he saw Kumiko. "Eh, Ojou?"

"Ah, Kyou what is it? Is it business? Who's here to see grandfather?" Yankumi asked nervous.

"Ah no, that is something you don't need to be concerned with. It is nothing. We can handle it." Kyou responded nervously.

Yankumi frowned suspiciously at Kyou and then began to continue walking when she heard a familiar voice ask. "Can't you allow her to make the decision to accept my omiai challenge? I know she is getting married Saturday, but if I win, I can be ready to marry her by then."

"I'm afraid that is out of the question. Her mind is made up and so is everyone else's. It is too late. So …" Her grandfather was saying when she interrupted by charging into the room banging the door against the wall as she entered.

"I'll accept his challenge." Yankumi stood there defiant.

"But Kumiko, there is no need to accept the Uma No O's challenge. You are getting married to Shin. There will not be any problem with the Tankukibara's Kaichou if you do not accept the challenge. Besides since you have already accepted and agreed to be married, he could be considered as violating the 3rd rule of the gangs." Her grandfather explained. (**A/N**: _The third rule is not to take someone else's woman. See the manga._)

"No, grandfather it is okay. If he can be ready to fight in ten minutes, I will gladly accept the challenge as well." Yankumi spoke.

Her grandfather gave her a quizzical look and then spoke. "Very well, since she has agreed, I have no objections."

Ten minutes later Yankumi was in shorts and a t-shirt and facing the Uma-No-O in a sparring match. They bowed and took their positions. Yankumi was so stressed she wasted no time. When they were told to start, Yankumi immediately flipped gracefully into the air and landed behind the Uma-No-O. Both of them turned around to face each other with fists poised. Yankumi threw a quick right cross, an upper cut, a left to the solar plexus and then a knee to the chin. The man fell face forward and shook his head. Much to everyone's surprise, he stood back up.

Yankumi smiled insidiously. "Oh, you don't know how to stay down like a good little boy. Well, let me tell you." He punched at her and she turned 90 degrees to avoid it. Then she began talking and punching at the same time. "You have no (left hook) idea how stressed (right cross) I am right now. For years (front kick to the chin), I haven't had a date (elbow to the solar plexus) let alone a confession (elbow to the chin.) Now after I have already found my special person and agreed to marry him (back kick to the knee), everyone wants to confess to me (grabs his hand.) Can you believe it (throws him off balance)? Freakin' two days before my wedding (flips him onto his back), and it ain't even 11:00 yet. So, I'm glad that you came I needed to work out my stress. Thank you." She reaches out to shake his hand on the ground, but he is out cold. She shrugs and bowed to her grandfather and the Tankukibara president. They all smiled and helped the poor guy up from the ground. Yankumi went in to change.

For those of you counting and I'm sure there are those who like to do that, that makes one disapproval, four confessions, and one omiai challenge all before 11:00 as Yankumi pointed out. With all that stress, it is not a wonder that Yankumi would inadvertently cancel the wedding when Shin called later that day.

**

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**

**(A/N):  **I really want to thank BlackJack7 for the idea for this chapter and for the additional character Yoshiro from Growing Up Yakuza (I love that story). Thanks to that character and the background information for him, I was able to add him in here instead of having to come up with a completely different character. Of course, my version of that character is completely different than BlackJack7's version obviously and probably different than a grown version, but I did that purposely. So disclaimer Yoshiro is probably totally OOC than in the story Growing Up Yakuza. Ok, as for the other characters Baba sensei is the one taken from the Season 2 and (SPOILER ALERT) Season 3 of the drama, even though there is one in the manga as well. Kujo sensei is taken from Season 2 of the drama as well. Shinohara is the cop as in the Season 1 drama, not the lawyer in the manga. Yuuta is the step son of the school nurse (in case you don't remember).


	10. Ch 10: Wedding Cancelled?

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Gokusen. I borrowed most of the characters from the drama and some from the manga. Also, I borrowed a few characters with permission from **BlackJack7's Growing up Yakuza, **Yoshiro and Meiko.

**RECAP**: Yankumi was visited by Sawatari sensei, who disapproved of her wedding, but changed his mind and decided to attend and make a speech. Then Yankumi was visited by two teachers that she knew when she was at Kurogin Gakuen, a childhood friend, and Shinohara, who all confessed. She was so stressed that she took up the Uma-No-O's omiai challenge to relieve her stress and soundly beat him.

* * *

**Chapter 10: The Wedding is Cancelled?**

Although it was not even lunch time, Yankumi decided to take a much needed soak in the tub followed by a cup of tea. She sighed as she thought about the events that had already occurred that day, when she remembered that there was something she had to do. She was just about to contact Kekkon sama when the phone rang and then Minoru came to get her.

"Ah, Ojou, Kekkon sama is on the phone for you." He handed her the phone.

"Good. I needed to speak to her too." Yankumi took the phone. "Kekkon sama, I'm glad you called. I need to talk to you about something."

Kekkon sama was startled for a second and then went outside to see if it was snowing. _No, hell hasn't frozen over._ "Yamaguchi sensei, did you say that you were glad to hear from me?"

Yankumi nodded. "Hm, I had two guests this morning who had not yet RSVP'd for the wedding. I wanted to see if I could RSVP for them, and also one of them wanted to make a speech. Oh, yeah, and there aren't any dietary restrictions."

Kekkon sama blinked for a second. "Oh, okay. Sure. Uhm, just tell me their names, and I'll add them to the program."

"Okay, It is Sawatori Goro and Sachiko. Sawatori Goro was the head teacher at two of the schools where I taught." Yankumi explained.

"Got it, I'll add them no problem." Kekkon sama said happily.

"Great, thank you. Good bye." Yankumi hurried off the phone.

"Good bye. Wait!" Kekkon sama had almost forgotten the reason that she called. "I was calling to schedule you for your final fitting for your dress today. When and how soon can you be at the hotel?"

"Oh, ah, I guess I will come first thing after lunch about 2:00?" Yankumi said.

"Okay, and what about your maiden of honor, Harrison Sensei? I wasn't able to get in contact with her. Do you know if she is back from Hong Kong yet?" Kekkon sama asked.

"She should be arriving soon. You probably couldn't get her because her phone was off since she is probably on the plane now." Yankumi explained.

"Well, I was able to put the call through, but when I tried to talk it was immediately hung up." Kekkon sama responded.

"Hm, that's odd. When is the last time you tried to call her? Maybe she was turning her phone off at that time." Yankumi asked.

"It was right before I called you." Kekkon sama replied.

"Oh well, I'll call her and check. Don't worry. I'm sure she'll make it on time." Yankumi said anxious and then said goodbye and hung up. She was just about to pick up her cell phone to call Imani when it rang from a number that she didn't recognize, and Yankumi answered it.

"Hello Gorgeous." The voice said in a low drawl.

"Who is this?" Yankumi asked warily, not recognizing the voice or the phone number.

"This is the man you love, who is going to marry you. Come over to the hotel, room 721. I thought that we could spend private time together before you get married." The voice said.

"I don't know what you are talking about, but I don't love you, and I'm not marrying you or anyone else who confesses today. And one more thing, I am definitely not the kind of girl who cheats." Yankumi hung up the phone.

The phone rang immediately. "Kumiko, are you saying that you don't want to marry me or spend any time alone together?"

"No, I don't want to marry you, and I'll definitely never meet you at any hotel" Yankumi shouted in the phone.

"So, do you want me to cancel everything, the hotel room and the wedding, and all the plans?" He asked.

"Yes! I won't meet you at a hotel. So whatever you are planning, you can cancel it." Yankumi hung up again and then looked at the phone. "Who is this and why is he harassing me? Whatever plans he made, he has to cancel them. I don't care how much they cost. He shouldn't be so conceited."

Meanwhile he was wondering. _That's weird. Did something happen to make her want to cancel the wedding? Wait, did she say she didn't know who I was?_ He then called back.

"Kumiko, I love you, and we're getting married on Saturday." He said.

"No! I'm not marrying you. I'm getting married to someone else Saturday. It is the man that I really and truly love. He is the only man for me." Yankumi protested.

"Do you know who this is?" He asked again.

"Yes, you're not the man that I love and will marry." She hung up and took out her battery from the phone. _Wait until I tell Shin about this_. She thought.

Shin thought it over and then decided to call her again but the phone went straight to voice mail. So he called the house phone. "Kumiko, it's Shin."

"Shinnnnn." Yankumi whined. "You wouldn't believe the morning that I am having. First Kyoto sensei came by and told me to cancel the wedding because he disapproved, and his wife tried to set me up with that weird cop that used to work with Shinohara. Then I told them that Kekkon sama set up the wedding, and then they said nevermind and wanted to RSVP and give a speech at the wedding. Then two teachers came and confessed to me, and so did my childhood friend and then Shinohara told me that he loved me and not Kawashima sensei. She's just his friend. Then I had to fight the Uma-No-O in an omiai challenge, and finally some pervert kept calling me and wanted me to meet him at a hotel room and cancel my wedding and marry him instead. He said he already made plans and everything." Yankumi finished out of breath.

Shin burst into laughter. "Kumiko no baka. That was me calling you. I booked us a suite at the hotel. Since we've had such a tough week, I wanted us to get away for the evening and relax together and not think of the wedding just enjoy being together."

"Oh, then why didn't you say so, and why is your phone number different?" Yankumi pouted.

"Because I'm calling you from the limo. I should be in front of your house in about five minutes. I'm taking you to lunch and then to the spa at the hotel. Then we'll have dinner together and just lay around and relax and turn off our phones. How does that sound?" Shin asked.

"That sounds wonderful." Yankumi relaxed. "Oh, but I need to pack for the wedding, and I have to meet Kekkon sama at 2:00 for my dress fitting."

"We can do all of that too. We are going to stay at the hotel where the wedding is. So, we'll be able to meet her and still spend time together, and don't worry about packing. I have already brought you everything you will need. Now, grab what stuff you absolutely have to have for the wedding and come outside." Shin told her. Yankumi looked outside to see a Mercedes Benz limousine. She smiled, waved, and then raced upstairs to pack the few things that she needed and jumped into the limousine, forgetting about all of the troubles from the morning and about what the wedding coordinator said about the maiden of honor, as Shin had hoped and planned.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kekkon sama had not forgotten the maiden of honor. She called her again, but the phone was engaged. So let's check in on our forgotten maiden of honor, shall we?

"Waaaaah!" A little girl cried.

"Can't you shut that kid up?" Ren asked.

Imani looked at him and pointed out her handcuffs. "And just how do you suppose I do that like this? Anyway, Ren, it's not her fault. She's scared and probably hungry. It's been more than 12 hours since any of us has had anything to eat. Why don't we order something?" Imani asked calmly.

"No way, they may poison it or put something in it to knock me out and then take you away from me." Ren looked at her.

Imani looked up at him. "Then, have us taste the food first. If there is anything wrong, we'll notice. And I'm not going anywhere like this." She held up her hands that were handcuffed to the witness stand. "So, why don't you use my phone to call my dad and have him order something?" As they were talking her phone rang. Ren picked it up and then quickly hung it up.

He read the caller ID. "Whoever this person is is sure persistent." Ren remarked.

Imani sighed as the little girl began to cry again. "Ren, could you please order her some food. She'll probably sleep as soon as her stomach is full."

"Fine, just tell her to shut up already and ask her what she wants? Oh, and order the same thing for all three of us. That way they won't be able to tell who ordered what and try to slip something in there." Ren tossed the phone to Imani.

She looked at him. "How am I supposed to call like this? Why don't you just call yourself?"

He shook his head. "No, way, and have you hit me on the back of the head or escape while my attention is on the phone." He unlocked one of the cuffs and then attached it to her leg. He then gave her the phone.

Imani spoke gently to the little girl, asking what she wanted to eat, and then called her father.

"Imani, thank god. How are you baby? How is the little girl? He didn't touch you did he?" Kenazawa sensei asked.

"No, Daddy, I'm fine. She's fine. We are just hungry. That's all." Imani replied. "I want to order some food. We will all have the same thing." She ordered.

The police listened and then asked her father. "Ask her if she wants us to put some sleeping pills in his food. We can mark the one that is his for her so she won't mistakenly eat it."

Her father relayed the message. She responded. "Yes, make them all the same way. The little girl will be tasting them all first so please make them all the same. Hopefully, once she eats she will rest and then we can negotiate. We haven't been able to make any plans with the little girl awake and crying. Once she is rested, things will get better." Imani replied carefully.

Her father nodded. "I understand." Then the phone hung up. Her father turned to them. "She said doctor all three meals. The little girl will taste all of them first. Make sure that you only use a little bit."

"Huh? She wants us to put something in all three of them? But won't that make all of them fall asleep?" The detective in charged asked.

"No, just the little girl. She wants her to fall asleep so that she can take action. She was afraid of scaring the little girl. So, if the little girl goes to sleep she can come up with a plan to get free." Her father responded.

They began making calls and plans. Meanwhile, back in the courtroom Ren had hung up the phone and gave it back to Imani. "That was long enough. You better not had sent any coded message."

Imani glared at him and that's when Kekkon sama called. Imani answered. "Hello."

"Imani, thank god, we've been trying to reach you all day. We need you to come and get fitted for your dress." Kekkon sama told her. "Can we schedule you this afternoon?"

"Ah, that will be a little bit difficult. I'm still in Hong Kong. I probably won't be back until tomorrow."

"You what?" Kekkon sama shouted and then calmed herself. "Imani, we really need to do it today. Tomorrow will be cutting it closely. Isn't there anything you can do?"

"Well, you could call my clothing store and get my measurements from them. The last time I was fitted was last week. So those should work. Then I can try on my dress tomo…" Imani was interrupted by Ren grabbing the phone.

"Hello." He spoke. "Who is this?"

"Ah, this is Kekkon sama, the wedding coordinator for the Sawada Yamaguchi wedding. Who is this?" Kekkon sama thought it may be one of the police or lawyers.

"This is Imani's soulmate. I'm sorry to tell you this but she will not be back today, tomorrow or anytime soon." Ren spoke and hung up the phone.

Imani glared at him. "DON'T, answer my phone or answer for me again."

Ren looked at her and smiled. "Why, it's the truth?" He came over to her and stroked her cheek.

Kekkon sama called back. "Excuse me, but did you say that she won't be back?"

"Yes." Ren spoke. He hung up again.

Kekkon sama was both furious and flustered and called back again. "Look, she has to get fitted for the wedding and attend the rehearsal dinner and the wedding. Next to the bride and groom, she is one of the most important people there." Kekkon sama protested. "Wait did you say her soulmate? Is this Tsuchiya san?" She asked.

"You mean that tall boy with the fan?" Ren turned and scowled at Imani. "No, this is most definitely not him. She doesn't love that fool. She is just toying with him, using him to make me jealous. She succeeded, too. So I decided to take action and make her mine. So, from now on we'll be spending the rest of our lives together." He hung up again.

Kekkon sama's heart skipped a beat and she called back again. "Are you saying that she won't make the wedding this weekend?"

"No, she won't. But listen, maybe we'll use your services in the near future. So if you want that to happen, you'll keep the line clear and stop bothering us." He yelled, hung up the phone, and then took out the battery.

Imani was furious. She arched one eyebrow at him and decided to take action. She quickly found something and threw it near the little girl, frightening her and causing her to cry.

"I want my Moooommmyyyyyyy." She wailed.

Ren responded glaring at the little girl. "Would you please pipe down?" He yelled causing her to cry harder and louder.

"Ren, please be gentle. You'll never become a good father that way. Why don't you let me hold her and calm her down?" Imani spoke gently.

Ren exhaled and picked up the little girl and brought her over to Imani. The little girl squealed and fought when Ren picked her up. Imani sat on the floor and placed her on her lap, stroking her hair. She smiled at the little girl and whispered to her. "Would you like to make this go away like a bad dream and then wake up with your Mommy?"

The little girl was still sobbing and nodded. Imani then whispered to her. "I'm sorry for having to do this." She stroked the little girl's hair for a few minutes soothing her, and then she quickly pressed an area along her neck and knocked her out. Imani then spoke to Ren. "There, now could you take her and lay her down somewhere? You should have been nicer, and you wouldn't have scared her."

Ren came over to pick up the little girl, but then stopped first to get another pair of handcuffs to chain her up while he picked up the child. "You are too resourceful." He told her. After he handcuffed Imani, he bent down to scoop up the child from Imani's lap. While he did, Imani took the hairpin she had taken from the little girl's hair and freed herself from the handcuff. She then hit Ren on the back of the neck before he had picked up the child and freed her other hand and was working on her leg. Ren didn't take long to wake up. In fact, he began stirring while Imani was undoing her leg. He looked up at her. "I knew you were planning something." He grabbed at Imani, who took off a scarf that she was wearing and wrapped it around his neck and choked him. He finally let her go to grab at the scarf. She rotated the scarf around and flung him back toward the prosecutor's table. She then put the scarf under the little girl and slid her out of the way. Ren got up and came toward Imani. She freed her other leg and then gave him a quick succession of kicks, knocking him out.

She then took the handcuffs and chained Ren's hands and feet together in back of him. She picked up the little girl and then retrieved her phone. Just then, the police knocked on the door with the food. She opened the door with the little girl in her arms. The little girl's mother ran to her and picked her up and held the little girl to her. "Oh, thank god. Is she hurt anywhere? Is she okay? What did he do to her?" The mother asked.

"No, she's fine, but she will be out for a while. He didn't do anything to her. I put her to sleep so that she wouldn't have to watch the fight. I'm sorry." Imani lowered her head.

"No, thank you for getting my little girl back to me safely." The woman told her and then left.

Imani's father ran to her, put a blanket around her and hugged her tightly to him. "Are you okay?"

She nodded. "Yes, I just want to catch the next flight out of here and get ready for the wedding."

Her father nodded. "I have a car standing by and tickets waiting at the airport. We should make it just in time."

"I'm afraid we can't let you go. We need her to make a statement and tell us what happened. It may take a couple of days." The detective in charge told them.

"I don't have a couple of days. I don't really have a couple of hours. I barely have a couple of minutes. Can't I give a deposition and provide that to you? I was supposed to be gone yesterday, but your slow court system, your lenient judge, and your shoddy police work are the reason that I am still here and got kidnapped. Now I have a wedding to attend, and I need to go." Imani took umbrage and began to walk away.

"Hold on, Ms. Harrison. If we have to arrest you, you will stay here and give your statement, and then you will see just how slow and shoddy our court system and police work are." The detective threatened her.

"That is DR. Harrison, and try it and see if you don't have an international incident on your hands." Imani warned.

"Wait a second both of you. Let's calm down. Detective, it is obvious that my daughter is stressed and suffering from sleep and food deprivation. She probably didn't mean to express herself in that manner, but she does need to leave. So, we'll get some food inside of her, let her rest a couple of hours, and then come to the station and give a statement. She should be finished by tomorrow morning at the latest and will have a police escort to make the latest flight before lunch." Her father's tone was stern.

"Sir, I can't guarantee that we can do as you have requested. I will have to ask my …" He began, but her father interrupted him.

"Your supervisors, the police commissioner is on the phone and is listening. By the way, that wasn't a request. You will perform as I have asked." He handed the phone to the detective who was bowing and being chewed out by his boss.

Imani gasped. "Phone!" She put her battery back in and then made two phone calls. "Hello, Kekkon sama, please calm down and don't panic. Yes, I'll be back by tomorrow in time for the rehearsal. No, there was a police incident, and I couldn't get away. Oh, that was no one important. I assure you that I will be back by tomorrow in time for the rehearsal. Also, please don't tell Miko about the phone calls. You don't want her to panic do you? Good, I'll see you tomorrow." Imani hung up and made one more phone call. "Hey Niichan, is Yankumi anywhere in the vicinity?"

"No, are you?" Shin asked.

"Not yet, but I'll be there by tomorrow." She said calmly.

"Are you sure?" He asked.

"Didn't you get my message from Dad? Even if I have to kill, I'll make it to the wedding." She replied.

"Then, I'll leave it to you, and see you tomorrow." Shin said.

"I'll leave Miko to you, and tell her when she asks that I said don't worry she'll see me at the rehearsal." Imani said and then hung up. She sighed and then sank to the floor. Her father caught her before she hit the ground. He picked her up and took her to a hotel.

Meanwhile, back at the hotel in Japan, Shin and Yankumi were relaxing at the spa. Shin smiled at Yankumi. "So do you feel better now?"

She nodded. "Yes, it's perfect here, but it's kind of weird. I keep running into all these people in cosplay. Are they having some type of cosplay convention or what?" (**A/N**: Close Yankumi, but not quite.)

Thus, at the end of the day, there was one disapproval, two potential omiais, two fights, four confessions, one near wedding cancellation, and one almost international incident. So with one more day until the wedding all of the unfortunate events have occurred and been resolved for them to have a peaceful and uneventful wedding (pause) is what I would like to say. Of course there is still that.

**

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**

That

"Boss, I am here to report that all 30 guys have their suits ready and know what they are to do." Eksuh san reported.

"Good. I guess I better buy a gift for the wedding. After all, it would be improper for a man of my stature to come empty-handed, especially since I will be one of the guests making a toast. Although, there will present will come later." He chuckled to himself.

* * *

(**A/N**) Originally, this chapter and the last chapter were meant to be one chapter, but it was too long. So I split them. Originally, I intended to have Odagiri confess again and also Yabuki. Then I decided against it. Since Odagiri made a deal with Shin in the other story, **A Gokusen Jdorama Ending**, I didn't think he would go back on it. I decided not to make Yabuki confess since there were already enough confessions. I thought that would be too many. All the other ones that confessed were more believable to me than Yabuki confessing so I left it out. I hope you aren't too disappointed. Don't worry. Yabuki will get some time in here.


	11. Ch: 11 Timing

**Disclaimer**: Gokusen is not mine. Nor does any of the characters from Gokusen belong to me.

**Recap**: Yankumi mistook Shin for a pervert over the phone and inadvertently cancelled the wedding. Shin called back and explained. So wedding was back on. Imani finally escaped from Ren, but was told she had to stay in Hong Kong to provide testimony and a statement.

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**Chapter 11 A Matter of Timing**

For the day before the wedding, Yankumi was unusually refreshed and relaxed all thanks to Shin. She was in such a state that she totally forgot all of the woes and cares of the week. She was so happy that she couldn't wait to tell her adopted sister about all of the wonderful things Shin had done for her the previous afternoon. That's when panic set in and all of the cares and woes came flooding back to haunt her. "OH MY GOD!" Yankumi yelled, distressed.

Shin shot up out of a deep sleep in the next bed over, alert and alarmed. "What is it? What's wrong? What happened? What's the matter?"

"I was just thinking how happy I was and how I couldn't wait to tell Imani about all of the things that you did for me and how much fun I had with you yesterday, and then I remembered that I hadn't heard from her yesterday, and I didn't even call her. Plus, I had my phone off so I don't know if she tried to call me. What if she did and didn't get me and doesn't know where I am and is in a state of panic?" Yankumi spoke rapidly.

"Okay, okay, okay." Shin got up and came over to Yankumi and put his arms around her waist. "Calm down, Kumiko. The only one in a state of panic is you. I heard from your little sister while you were in the spa, yesterday."

"But I thought you turned your phone off too." Yankumi wailed.

"I did, but I knew you would be worried about her. So I turned it back on to call her and just in time for her to call me. And she told me to tell you not to worry. She'll be here this evening for rehearsal." Shin rubbed her hair.

Yankumi relaxed and breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. She'll make it this afternoon." Then she had a sudden thought. "Wait doesn't that mean she is still in Hong Kong? Isn't she supposed to be in Tokyo by now?"

"She said that she would explain when she sees you." Shin lied to Yankumi. "So stop worrying and let us order breakfast and have it in bed. After all, we will be unable to spend too much more time alone together before the wedding ceremony." Yankumi nodded and relaxed.

* * *

**5 a.m. Hong Kong**

Meanwhile, in Hong Kong, Imani woke up panicked and in a frenzy. She looked at the clock. "Dad, please tell me that this is still Thursday."

"Nope, you slept for more than 12 hours." He replied.

"Why didn't you wake me up last night? I wanted to finish giving my statement so that I could leave on the first flight this morning." Imani complained.

"I know. I tried to wake you up last night to eat, but apparently going for more than 12 hours without food, drink, and sleep and expending all of your energy to beat up your kidnapper took a lot out of you. According to the doctor, you fainted due to exhaustion. You and I both know that if your body shuts down for that long of a time, then you obviously are craving sleep. Anyway, you must be starving. I ordered a full breakfast. So eat and get ready, and we'll go to the police station and then catch a morning flight back to Japan."

Imani nodded and shoveled food in her mouth in record time. Her father eyed her. "You do know that that is not good for you, especially after not having eaten anything in a day."

Imani brushed him off. "I'll deal with the consequences later. Now let's pack and get going to the police station."

"I don't think they will be too happy to take your statement at 6:30 in the morning." Her father noted.

"Does the police station ever close? No, so whatever. Let's go." She ordered. They left for the police station.

* * *

**10:00 a.m. Hong Kong Time**

"Okay Ms., er Dr. Harrison, we're all done. You can leave and catch your plane."

"Is the police escort ready?" Her father asked.

The detective in charge looked at her father. "We didn't think you were serious about that."

Her father returned the look of the man and took out his cell phone. "Let's see. I have the police commissioner's phone number on speed dial."

The man blocked him from making the call. "Alright, we'll be ready in five minutes."

Imani looked at her watch. "That will barely give us enough time."

The detective saw the anxious girl and recalled what she had been through. "I'll call the airport and ask them to hold the plane for you two in case you don't make it in time. Do you need to check your luggage?"

Her father shook his head. "We already have our bags packed and checked in. We just need a ride."

Within five minutes, they were heading out of the station. As they walked by the front desk, a police officer called the detective. "Sir, this lady says she is looking for some doctor that saved her kid yesterday. She said you would know about it."

The little girl looked over. "There she is Mommy." They came over to Imani.

"My little girl and I wanted to thank you for yesterday. Can we buy you a cup of tea or something?" The lady asked.

"Please." The little girl asked.

Her father looked at her watch. "At this rate, we won't make our flight."

"I'll call them and tell them to hold the plane a little longer." The detective told her.

Imani looked at the time, put her head down, and shook it. "That won't be necessary. I don't want to hold anyone up. Daddy, you go ahead. I'll catch the next flight, and tell them I'll be late."

"Are you sure this is okay sweetheart?" Her father asked.

Imani lifted her head, smiled, then picked up the little girl from her mother, and nodded. "How often do I get to have tea with such a pretty little sister? Miko will understand."

They nodded and parted ways. She had tea, and they gave her a picture of the little girl and took some pictures together in a sticker photo booth. It was only twenty minutes later, but that twenty minutes meant a lot to Imani.

Her father called her to let her know that he had reached the airport and made the plane. "Good, send everyone my best."

"Don't worry honey. Come straight to the airport. I've prepared something for you, and you'll be able to leave as soon as you arrive." Her father told her.

"What do you mean?" Imani asked.

"I knew that this might happen. So I sent Ken back with the plane. The only reason that we didn't bring the plane in the first place was the need to keep a low profile. Since Ren already found out that you were here, there is no need to keep a low profile. So, Ken should be waiting for you when you arrive, and you can leave whenever you like." Her father explained.

"Daddy, thank you. I love you. If I was there with you now, I would give you a big hug. Please pack my clothes for me and check in at the hotel and explain to Miko what happened, leaving out the relevant details." Imani asked.

"Don't worry I know what to do. And I love you too." Her father replied.

* * *

**1:30 p.m. Hotel in Tokyo**

Kekkon sama looked at her watch. She asked one of her assistants. "Has all of the wedding party members arrived and checked in?"

"Everyone except for the maiden of honor." Ai responded.

"What? Did she call you, or did you get in touch with her?" Kekkon sama asked.

"Yes, I called her but didn't get her at first. She called back to let me know that she was arriving at the airport and should land in a few hours." Ai responded.

"Have a car at the airport waiting for her to bring her here first thing." Kekkon sama replied.

"That won't be necessary. I already have someone waiting for her when she lands." Kenazawa Sensei told her.

"Kenazawa sensei, what are you doing here, and why isn't your daughter with you?" Kekkon sama asked.

"That is what I was just going to ask." Yankumi strode up. "Uncle, it is good to see you." She hugged the tall Asian man. "But where is Imani?"

"Hello Miko. She is still in Hong Kong. She should be boarding the plan right now and should arrive in a couple of hours." He explained.

"What? Why? Why didn't she travel with you?" Yankumi asked.

"Well, there was a little girl that was separated from her mom on Wednesday when we were in Hong Kong. You know how Imani feels about that so she helped the mother to recover her daughter. It took a day for that to happen. As we were leaving this morning, the mother and daughter came looking for Imani to thank her causing her to miss the flight. She sent me a head to tell you not to worry. She really wanted to be here, but you understand." Her father explained leaving out relevant details.

Miko smiled proudly, nodding. "Yes, I do. I also know how grateful that little girl must be to her. I feel the same way. It's okay. I know she'll be here."

Kekkon sama frowned. "Well, if that was the case why didn't she just say so? Why did that guy who answered her phone claim to be her soul m…" Kekkon sama didn't finish because Kenazawa sensei yanked her away out of Yankumi's hearing.

He gave her a sinister look. "Look, Kekkon sama, didn't my daughter tell you not to mention that to Yankumi?" She nodded. "Then you will keep your word, and don't you have enough to deal with getting ready for the wedding without having to stick your nose into my daughter's personal affairs?"

"Y-yes." She smiled tightly and turned to go. She looked around, then pulled out a flask when she didn't see anyone, and took a swig. "I swear the whole lot of them are gangsters." She put the flask away, smoothed out her hair and clothes, and continued on her way. She had only taken a few steps when she bumped into something big and broad. She looked up to find the man with the scar scowling down at her. She stepped back surprised.

Kyou then smiled. "Look, if you want the good stuff that really works, you should try this." He pulled out a flask, opened it, and handed it to her. "Go ahead and take a swig. I don't care about no indirect kiss or nuthin. I ain't a kid, and neither are you."

"I don't know what you are talking about. This is simply headache medicine." Kekkon sama was flustered.

"Right, headache medicine. Well, trust me. This stuff will get rid of what ails you." She looked up at him contemplating. He nodded. "Go ahead."

She took a drink, turned pale, then frowned, and coughed. Once she recovered, she took another swig. Then she whispered to him. "Look, where can I get some of this (she cleared her throat) headache medicine? I need a big bottle, and I'll pay whatever."

Kyou smiled. "Meet me later. I'll get it for you free of charge. Consider it a 'thank you gift' for taking care of our Ojou." He winked at her and left. She stared after him and then also walked away.

* * *

Meanwhile, Shirokin 3D were walking around and looking over the hotel. "Shin, man, this place is the best. I've never seen something so ritzy." Noda noted.

"Yeah, but why are there so many people dressed up in costumes? Does the staff have some type of Cosplay Friday where they dress in costumes?" Minami asked.

"No, they are having an anime convention here. It ends tomorrow." Shin said.

"Ohhhh." The other four men replied.

"Well, this ain't too bad." Minami said as they all stared at a girl with a red wig on, dressed in a maid's outfit pass by.

They headed for the ball room where the reception would be and opened it to find it dark, filled with booths and all types of space craft, balloons of anime characters, and other paraphernalia lining the ceilings and walls. They stared at it.

"Dude, isn't this where your reception is supposed to be?" Uchi asked. Shin nodded. "And it is supposed to be ready for a wedding atmosphere by tomorrow?" Uchi shook his head. "That is one construction project that is going to be huge." They all nodded.

"What's going to be huge?" Yankumi asked popping up out of nowhere.

They quickly slammed the door and stood in front of it to block Yankumi from seeing it.

"The … the wedding." Kuma said.

"Y-Yeah." Noda nodded and smiled nervously.

Yankumi looked at the name plate next to the door. "Oh, is this where our reception will be? Can I see it?" She reached for the door handle.

"No!!" They all shouted at once and crossed the hands in front of them, blocking her.

"I mean." Uchi began. "It's a mess in there. It's really scary. You don't want to see it."

"Eh?" Yankumi was anxious.

Shin put his arm around Yankumi and began to lead her away. "What he means is that they are in the process of moving things around and decorating them for the wedding. So it is pure chaos in there. Why don't you wait until it is finished to go look in there? I'm sure Kekkon sama will let you know when it is ready." Yankumi nodded. "By the way, has Imani arrived yet?" Shin tried to distract her by changing the subject.

Yankumi shook her head. "No, but Uncle arrived. He said she should be landing soon, and he has someone waiting to pick her up at the airport. She should arrive in plenty of time."

"Oh, so she got res…" Shin glared at Kuma while the other three hit him on the back of his head and covered his mouth.

"Eh?" Yankumi looked around at Kuma.

"Nothing. Kuma, shouldn't you be preparing for the rehearsal dinner?" Shin asked.

"Oh, I have everything all prepared. The meet is all seasoned, all of my cooking utensils are here, the hotel provided the wait staff, and all I need to do is to begin cooking two hours before dinner." Kuma smiled.

"How nice for you." Shin replied drolly, smirking at Kuma. "Anyway, why did she and Uncle travel separately?"

"Oh, she helped a mother find her lost little girl, and they wanted to thank her. So she missed her flight to spend time with them." Yankumi said proudly.

"Sounds just like her." Shin said and glanced at the other guys to warn them not to respond.

* * *

**3:00 p.m. Tokyo in an Airplane**

"Empress, Tokyo airport says that you will have to land at a private air field a couple of miles away because they do not have a runway where you can land right now." Ken told her.

"Let Daddy know and get someone to be on standby at the private airfield to take me directly over to the hotel." Imani replied.

"Already done, Empress." Ken replied.

"Excellent," she nodded and smiled.

* * *

**3:00 p.m. At the Hotel**

Kenazawa hung up the phone and went to find Kekkon sama and Yankumi to relay the news.

"Will she get back in time for the rehearsal? It is in 2 hours. When does she land? How far away is she? Where are her clothes? Can she be ready? Do we have to start exactly on time? Can we wait for her? I'll tell you right now that I am not going down that aisle until she is here." Yankumi began to panic.

Shin held her hand. "Okay, calm down. I'm sure Uncle has everything under control. She'll be here as soon as she can, and we can start when she is ready." Shin assured her and then turned to look at Kenazawa sensei and Kekkon sama for confirmation. They both nodded in agreement.

"Fine, but as soon as she lands, I want to know. Uchi, I expect you to wait for her and escort her as soon as she arrives to where she needs to be." Yankumi grasped him by the collar.

"Yes Ma'am." Uchi saluted her.

Kekkon sama took charge. "Yamaguchi sensei, why don't we go to the room where the wedding ceremony will take place and let's go for your final fitting for both the wedding and reception gowns? Also, why don't you and the groom practice your dance for tomorrow?" She took Yankumi's arm and led her off, followed by Shin.

* * *

**3:45 p.m. Private Air Field**

Imani stepped off the plane, called her father, and then stopped to find her ride in front of her on a black and silver motorcycle and dressed in all leather. She ran up to him and hugged him. "Tsuchi!" He reached down and kissed her, lifting her up and holding her. "What are you doing here? Aren't you busy? Isn't your deadline today for the new volume?" She asked after they broke the kiss.

"I turned it in early. Your dad said you needed a ride to the hotel. Of course I told him I wouldn't mind chauffer duty. By the way, what took you so long to get back? Was the case that difficult? Or did something happen?" Tsuchi turned on the motorcycle.

"Well, the wheels of justice in this court turn really slowly. The judge was new and thought Ren couldn't really have done all those things since he was a model prisoner in jail, etc. Also the police and others wanted me to provide additional evidence about what happened. Anyway, I'm back now and I'd like to focus on the wedding." Imani changed the subject quickly. _Now I know why Dad had me dress in all leather today_. Imani thought.

* * *

**3:47 p.m. Hotel**

Kenazawa sensei hung up the phone with his daughter and found Yankumi and Kekkon sama to relay the message.

Yankumi was happy, but then began giving orders. "Uchi, you go outside and look for her and wait until she arrives. Then take her to her room and make sure she gets to the rehearsal room as soon as she can."

Uchi nodded and headed off but then stopped. He turned back. "Ah, Yankumi, I still don't know what she looks like. How will I know if it is her?" Uchi replied.

"She's foreign and one of a kind. She looks like a doll." Yankumi replied.

Shin shook his head. "I'll wait with him and identify her for them."

Yankumi nodded and was about to turn away when Kurogin 3D sans Tsuchi and Shiratori sensei arrived. "Yankumi!" The four boys yelled. Then they all went over to her and greeted her.

"Yankumi, look good, no glasses, no ponytails, and you are actually wearing a dress that fits good on you. You look like a woman." Yabuki looked her over and walked around her.

"Eh? That's because I am a woman." Yankumi responded.

"I know but when you were our teacher you looked …" Yabuki was interrupted by Odagiri.

"You look beautiful is what he was trying to say." Odagiri finished for Yabuki, glaring at him and smiling at Yankumi. "How are you? It's good to see you. It's been a long time."

"You look like you are doing well. You cut your hair in the back and let it grow in the front. It looks good on you. You look so mature and handsome now." Yankumi smiled at him. Odagiri blushed.

Shin turned back to watch the interchange between the two and sauntered over. "Shouldn't you greet everyone?" He remarked wryly.

She looked at Shin and asked. "Shouldn't you be on your way to meet Imani?" Then she looked around him and took his advice. "Shiratori sensei, it's good to see you."

"Yamaguchi sensei, how are you? You look great. You're skin is so pretty. It's practically glowing. Love must agree with you." Shiratori sensei replied. Then she looked around. "Eh, where is everyone else in the wedding party?"

As she asked, Fujiyama sensei, Kawashima sensei, Tetsu, Minoru, Natsumi, Mariko, and other wedding party members came up and spoke. "Kekkon sama, I think there may be a small problem." One of her assistants spoke.

Shiratori sensei ran over to grab Tetsu's arm. "Tetsu san, it is so good to see you again. Eh, but what happened to your leg?"

"Oh, this. This happened when I was preparing for the wedding." He was leaning on a cane.

"Oh, you poor, brave, man, willing to sacrifice yourself for Yamaguchi sensei's happiness." Shiratori pinched his cheek, bat her eyelashes and smiled. "Don't worry. If you need help, you can lean on me." She looped her arm into his.

Fujiyama sensei looked at the two and scoffed. She came over in an instant. "Well, don't you worry. If he needs someone to lean on, he can lean on me. I'm in the wedding so he will most likely be escorting me down the aisle. You don't have to trouble yourself. I'm sure you can make yourself useful somewhere else." Fujiyama took Shiratori's arm off of Tetsu and put his arm into hers and smiled at her triumphantly.

Shiratori sensei stamped her foot and pouted. "Well, it's really no trouble at all. I don't have any duties until tomorrow at the wedding to greet people and have them sign in. I'm sure that since you are in the wedding, you will have too much to do to get ready. After all, it will take some time to make you look young, sexy, and beautiful." Fujiyama sensei's jaw dropped at Shiratori's comments. "Besides, I owe Tetsu san since he saved me. He's my knight in shining armor." She looked away dreamily.

"Well, he was my knight first. He saved me first, and I've known him longer. So you can leave him to me." Fujiyama sensei stood taller and stuck out her chest and smiled at Shiratori sensei.

"Don't you have to get ready for the rehearsal? Surely, you aren't going looking like that?" Shiratori sensei responded.

"Eh?" Fujiyama sensei responded and then dropped Tetsu's arm and leaned closer into Shiratori's face. "What's wrong with the way I look? It doesn't matter since I still look better than you."

Everyone watched the interchange between the two teachers, amused. Ai then remembered why she had come to talk to Kekkon sama. "Kekkon sama, I think we may have an issue. I'm not sure that Tetsu san will be able to walk anyone down the aisle."

"Can we accommodate him in a wheelchair?" Kekkon sama asked.

Ai shook her head. "I don't think so. We had to narrow the aisle to accommodate all of the additional guests."

Kekkon sama looked around and then grabbed Yabuki. "You are almost his height. Come with us to get measured." She pulled Yabuki away, followed by her assistant and Tetsu and Minoru.

Yankumi stayed behind to chat with Kurogin 3D while Shin and Uchi left to greet the maiden of honor.

* * *

**4:00 p.m. Streets of Tokyo**

Tsuchi yelled back to Imani. "We should make good timing unless we run into traf …" He stopped because no sooner had he begun the statement than they exited onto a street that was engulfed in traffic.

Imani hit him on the helmet. "You were saying?" She asked sarcastically. Then she had a thought. "Use the GPS on your bike's panel and see if there are any alternative routes to get there."

Tsuchi nodded and checked. He found one and turned off immediately at a side street.

* * *

**4:05 p.m. Hotel**

Shin hung up the phone with Imani. "She said she ran into traffic but found an alternate route and should be here in about 15 – 20 minutes."

"So Shin, what is this sister of Yankumi's really like? I know you didn't really want to talk in front of the guys, but now that we are alone can you tell me what she is like?"

Shin looked around. "I wouldn't say that we are exactly alone."

Uchi looked around surprised to see Kuma, Minami, and Noda behind him. He scowled. "What are you guys doing here?"

"I'm here to say hello. I haven't seen her in a while." Kuma said. "I don't know about these guys."

"Well, we wanted to see what she really looked like. You see I thought about what Shin said, and it didn't make sense." Noda started. "If she is being stalked and kidnapped by all these guys, and if she has a boyfriend, I figure she has to be a hottie. So, I wanted to see for myself." Noda finished.

"Me too." Minami held up his hand.

Uchi turned around and sighed. "So what does she really look like then?"

Shin thought. "Why should I ruin the surprise? She'll be here any moment. All I can say is that she is unique, and you'll know her when you see her."

* * *

**4:10 p.m. Back Roads of Tokyo**

"Tsuchi, can't you go any faster? We're so close, but at this rate, we'll never get there." Imani complained.

"Hey, I'm not familiar with these streets, and I have to go slow since I don't know what is up ahead. Do you want to drive? If so, be my guest." He pulled over and stopped the bike.

Imani jumped off and smiled. "Really? I thought you'd never ask." She hopped on the motorcycle and gunned the motor. "Scoot back and hold on tight." She sped away with tires screeching.

Tsuchi was thinking. _This is what I get for being sarcastic._

* * *

**4:15 p.m., Front of the Hotel **

"So then if you can't tell us what she looks like, tell us what she is like." Uchi requested.

"Like I said, she is just like Yankumi only the opposite." Shin replied.

"But that doesn't tell us anything. Come on give us some details." Minami asked.

"Tell us what work she does. I know that she is a teacher, but what does she teach? Uchi asked.

"Uhm, she is not just a teacher. She is a professor in Mechanical Engineering. You and she share some common interests Uchi. She is in your line of work designing and building houses. I don't know if you heard of the typhoon house project, but she is the one leading that project." Shin explained.

"That's her? Man, now I can't wait to meet her." Uchi said.

* * *

**4:20 p.m., Front of the Hotel Driveway **

Imani pulled up to the semi-circular shaped hotel driveway only to find it blocked by a diesel truck parked perpendicular to the entrance. "I don't believe this." She put the bike in gear and drove to the other side only to find it blocked by a pickup truck, also blocking it perpendicular to the entry. She looked to see if she could pass by. She exhaled, frustrated. "I don't freakin' believe it." She drove up to where the window of the pickup truck was. "Excuse me sir, could you please pull up your truck a little to let me get by?"

He looked at her. "Why don't you go around? I gotta be here because I'm waiting to load my truck with equipment from some convention."

"I understand that sir, but there is semi-truck parked at the other entrance blocking it. There is a wedding starting at 5:00 p.m., and I'm in it. So, I would really appreciate it if you could scoot your truck up or back just a little bit to allow me to pass." Imani asked again.

"What to do? The hotel gave me permission to be here. You'll just have to wait." He threw out a cigarette and rolled up his window.

Imani scowled and then looked around. "Tsuchi, get off the bike, go find my father, and get the key for my room. I'm going to park the bike."

"Imani, don't do anything that will lead to anyone getting hurt." Tsuchi warned.

"Tsuchi, just go do what I asked you, please." She added sweetly.

He went into the hotel, found her father and retrieved the keys. In the mean time, he ran into Odagiri, Takeda, and Hyuga.

"Hey guys, when did you get here?" Tsuchi smiled and greeted them.

"Not too long ago. Where's your better half?" Hyuga teased him.

"She's parking the bike." Tsuchi replied.

"What kind of gentleman are you? Shouldn't you be doing that?" Takeda asked.

He shook his head. "You'll understand when you see."

* * *

**Front of the hotel 4:23 p.m.**

Uchi looked at his watch. "When is she going to arrive? Shouldn't she be here already? Yankumi's going to flip her lid if Imani doesn't hurry up and come."

As he was speaking they heard the loud engine of a motorcycle being gunned and next thing they know they saw a bike come flying over a truck and then land with the rider of the bike skidding to a stop, lean it to one side and put out the kick stand. Finally, the bike rider took off the helmet and shook out her long, wavy hair.

Shin smiled. "Gentlemen, I believe our maiden of honor has arrived."

* * *

(**A/N**): Usually I add a summary to the end of the chapter as the narrator, but this time I preferred to end it here. I liked it this way better. I had originally planned for Tetsu to also confess to Yankumi on that Thursday and then decide against it after he saw the Uma No O get beat, but since I had his leg broken, I thought he went through enough. Instead, I thought it would be nice for the two teachers to fight over him since he doesn't get the girl, Yankumi. So the next chapter will continue just as this one is completed.


	12. Ch 12: Rehearsal: Yankumi's Sister

**Disclaimer**: See Chapter 11 Disclaimer

**Recap**: Despite meetings with the police and a thankful mother and daughter, missing her plane, being rerouted to a different airport, and traffic, Imani arrived before the rehearsal was supposed to start. Now let's see if she can actually get to the rehearsal on time.

* * *

**Chapter 12 The Rehearsal**

"Gentlemen, I believe our maiden of honor has arrived." Shin smiled.

"Wow!" All of the guys out there exclaimed as they watched Imani take off the helmet, shake out her long, wavy hair, and take off her sunglasses.

"I'm in love." Minami stated covering his chest.

"Uchi, you lucky dog." Noda exclaimed. Uchi smiled.

"Not too lucky, guys. Remember she already has a boyfriend." Shin reminded them as Uchi frowned.

"I don't care. I'll be first in line after they break up." Noda stated.

"After me." Minami said.

Uchi looked back. "After me." He said slyly

Then another voice stated. "That would be after me." They turned to find Odagiri there. "And I've already dated her."

They stared at him impressed.

Shin walked over to Imani as she got off the bike and threw the keys to the parking attendant. "Don't scratch or dent my baby." She winked at the guy who caught the keys as he stared at her.

* * *

Three dorky looking guys all dressed in cosplay, who were watching the machines being loaded on the trucks, had out their cell phones and were taking pictures. "See, I told you it would be worth it to stay the extra week and stay for the surprise at the end of the week. We got to see Gaijin sensei, from that new Shounen manga, and did you see the landing on the motorcycle? I told you the surprise would be worth it."

"No way that's Gaijin sensei. If it is, where is Fan Boy?" The other guy asked.

"He's probably coming." Another boy stated.

* * *

Shin met Imani and hugged her. She smiled. "Niisan, I thought I would never get here."

He smiled. "Neither did I. I'm glad you are back safe and sound." He looked into her face. "It is safe and sound right?" She nodded. Then Odagiri walked up to her.

"Ryo!!" She jumped on him, hugged him tightly, and kissed his cheek. "It's so good to see you. When did you get here, and how long are you staying?"

He returned Imani's hug. "It's good to be back. I'm glad to see you too. I arrived Wednesday, but only came to the hotel a little while ago. I'll be staying a couple of weeks. We should hook up and talk." He released her and pushed her back. "You're looking well as always considering."

She smiled. "Thank you. So are you. I love the hair." She fingered his long bangs. "Wait, considering what?"

"Considering what happened on your Hong Kong trip, which must be why you are arriving so late." He whispered.

Imani gave him a look. "Neither Tsuchi nor Yankumi know. So keep it to yourself."

"I guess that's her boyfriend." Noda and Minami noted while she was talking to Odagiri.

"Nope, that would be me." Tsuchi replied behind them and then went over toward the group.

Before Tsuchi could get to her, Imani noticed Kuma had come over. "Eh, Kuma, how are you? Long time no see. You look like business is doing well." She kissed him on the cheek and then rubbed his stomach. He blushed.

"Hey Imani, you look good as always. When are you coming back to the shop? I have a new menu for you to try." Kuma smiled at her.

Before Tsuchi got to Imani, Hyuga and Takeda ran up to her and got in his way. "Imani!!" They yelled. She hugged both of them and kissed them on their cheeks.

"We've missed you." Hyuga said.

"Yeah, it feels like it has been months." Takeda said.

"You guys are so silly. I just saw you. Wait you're right. It was more than a month ago." Imani realized. She then hugged them again.

At this point, Tsuchi strolled up. "Excuse me guys." He pushed Hyuga and Takeda to the side and stood in front of Imani. He leaned down to give her a kiss on the lips but then took out his fan and placed it front of the two of them to block everyone from seeing the kiss.

* * *

At that the three otaku snapped pictures. "See I told you. That is Gaijin sensei, and there is fan boy. He even did his signature kiss with her. The one first seen in Volume 1, Chapter 9, page 20."

The others with him looked at the picture of the kiss with the fan in the way on the phone and all agreed.

* * *

Imani smiled as Tsuchi moved away. "What was that for?"

"To thank you for parking my bike and handling it so well." He smiled. "And here are the keys for the room. One for you and one for …" He handed one to her and was about to put one away in his pocket.

"Daddy." Imani finished for him. "Where is Daddy by the way?" Imani looked around.

"He went to go get …" Tsuchi began.

"Maniiiii!" Yankumi came running toward Imani and hugged her tightly.

"Miko." Imani returned the hug and smiled.

Yankumi grabbed her hand and began walking her inside. "I thought you were never going to get here. I began to worry. I told them that I wouldn't even consider walking down the aisle until you arrived. Thank heavens you arrived. Now, you need to go get changed and meet us in the rehearsal room. That is the Edo room. It's …" Yankumi stopped and looked around. "Never mind, Uchi will show you the way."

"Uchi?" Imani asked.

"Uchiyama Haruhiko. He's Shin's best man and your escort for tonight. He'll show you around. He's … " She looked around. Then she went over and grabbed Uchi by the elbow and drug him over. "Uchiyama Haruhiko, meet Harrison Imani sensei. Imani meet Uchiyama Haruhiko. You can call him Uchi. We all do. You call her sensei unless she tells you other wise. She's my precious little sister. You better treat her well, respect her, and take care of her or else." Yankumi pulled him close to her by the collar, and her face devilized. "I will scar you permanently." She released him. "Honestly, Shin what were you doing out here all this time? You should have introduced her to everyone by now, and she should be on her way to her room to change."

Imani laughed. It's okay Miko. I already have met or know most everyone here." She looked around. "With the exception of those two over there." She pointed at Noda and Minami. They hurried over to be introduced. Yankumi turned around to look at where they were.

"That's just Noda and Minami." Yankumi waved them off as unimportant. They looked crestfallen. Then she grabbed Uchi's arm and placed Imani's hand on it. "Now, escort her to her room and wait outside her room until she finishes changing. Then escort her to the rehearsal room." She pushed the two forward.

Tsuchi protested. "I can show her to the room and wait _inside_ the room while she changes and bring her to the rehearsal."

Yankumi frowned. "No need. That's the best man's job to take care of the maiden of honor. Besides, I am sure that Kekkon sama can use your help for something."

Kekkon sama arrived at that moment. "Ah, Harrison sensei at last. I thought you would never arrive. I'm so glad you are here. If you hadn't arrived, then we may not have been able to get on with the wedding. Now that you are here, everything can proceed." She looked at Tsuchi. "Hm, maybe you will do. You may just do nicely." She grabbed his arm. "Come on. Let's go get you fitted into a tux. Your friend there was not quite right, but I think you have similar dimensions to Tetsu san. Girls please take care of him." She turned Tsuchi over to her three assistants who led him by the arms. He looked back at Imani in protest who was chatting jovially with Uchi.

"So Uchiyama san, Shin tells me that you are in architecture?" Imani asked.

"Please, it's Uchi, and that's right. I design houses. Shin tells me that you are also designing a house, one that can withstand typhoons. I'd be really interested in seeing that design and a demonstration." Uchi put his hand over her arm.

"Really, I would appreciate you taking a look. I'd like to get a local designer's opinion. I heard that you helped Shin make some significant improvements to his design for the school where Miko will be teaching." Imani replied.

"Well it wasn't really that big of a deal, not like what you are doing. What you are doing is really cool. So, when can I come see a demonstration?" Uchi asked smiling.

Imani flashed a smile. "Anytime you are ready. I am in the lab most days. Just call me and give me a few days notice to get everything prepared and make sure that we are not doing maintenance on the equipment." She took out a card. "Here's my business card. It also has my cell phone. Call me when you want a demo."

He took it and gave her one of his as they continued chatting until they arrived at her room.

* * *

Meanwhile Yankumi, and the others headed to the room where the rehearsal was being held and more of the guest began to show up including Yankumi's grandfather, Shin's parents and other guests who had rented a room for the weekend.

Minami and Noda held back from the rest of the group to chastise Shin. "Man, why did you lie and say she was ugly? She's gorgeous, exotic, and voluptuous." Noda smiled.

"I never said that she was ugly." Shin shrugged.

"Yes you did. You said she was the opposite of Fujiyama sensei. Fujiyama sensei is pretty. The opposite of that is ugly, neh." Minami explained.

"I just said that she had all the opposite qualities of Fujiyama sensei. She is dark-skinned." Shin counted.

"She's more like a sweet mocha, caramel color. Thinking of it makes me want to drink her up right now." Noda fantasized.

Shin rolled his eyes. "She's short with short legs."

"That's called petite." Minami explained.

"She's not thin." Shin counted again.

"Yeah, but she's not fat. She has all the right curves in all the right places." Noda and Minami nudged each other.

"Yeah, she's big, round, and firm where she needs to be." Minami grinned.

"I'm surprised she can stand up straight with that chest." Noda chuckled.

"Just don't let Kumiko hear you say anything like that about her precious little sister, or you won't be able to stand up straight." Shin warned as they headed to the rehearsal room.

* * *

Imani hurriedly showered and changed her clothes in record time. She was in such a hurry that she ran into a slight snag as she got dressed. It was such a problem that she decided to call for help. She called her father first, whose line was engaged. She next called Yankumi. As Yankumi went to get her phone and check the caller ID, Kekkon sama took her phone away, hung it up and took out the battery.

"No phones during rehearsal." Kekkon sama turned the phone off and took out the battery. "In fact, everyone take out your phones and turn them off right now. There is nothing that you have to do that is more important at the moment." They all took out their phones and turned them off reluctantly, except for the kumi. They gave her a threatening look, and she nodded and smiled. "Present company excluded of course."

"Hey, no fair if we have to turn off our phones everyone should turn off their phones." Noda protested. The kumi scowled at him. "I was referring to Kekkon sama." He quickly explained.

"Fine, I'll set the example." She turned hers off just as Imani was calling her. "There, happy?"

Noda nodded, but Yankumi frowned. "What if there is a problem related to the wedding and someone needs to call you?"

"Everyone is here. Besides, it will roll over to my assistant's phone." Kekkon sama explained. "Now, let's continue."

* * *

At that moment, Imani called each of the members in the bridal party and left a message. She then called Kekkon sama whose phone rolled over to the assistant. However, she missed the phone call since she was at that moment helping to measure Tsuchi. Imani was left with no other choice than to call Tsuchi.

Tsuchi took out his phone and looked at it as they finished measuring his right arm. He answered curtly. "Yes. What can I do for you?"

Imani was puzzled. _He sounds angry_. "Hiiiikaruuu, are you busy right now? I need your help." Imani pleaded.

"As a matter of fact I am busy. What's the matter? Can't your new best friend who you have so much in common with help you? After all he is so capable in the design world." Tsuchi remarked sarcastically.

"Yes, I suppose he can, but I don't think it is appropriate to ask him for help with this. I've already tried calling others, but no one else is available." Imani replied.

"Oh really? Why is that? Is he too good to help you with this problem? Is that all I am good for to help you with problems? Like I said, I'm a little busy right now. So you'll just have to ask your new best friend Uchiyama to help you." Tsuchi replied snidely.

Imani was beside herself. "Are you sure it's okay with you to ask him for help?"

"Knock yourself out." Tsuchi responded.

"Okay, then. You said it. I'm sorry to take up your time. I'll ask Uchiyama to help me get out of my dress then." Imani hung up frustrated and confused. "What's with his attitude? What did I do wrong?" She opened the door and spoke to Uchi. "Uchiyama san?"

"Please call me Uchi." Uchi smiled at her.

"Oh, Uchi, could you please help me with something? I'm sorry to ask you, but I can't get it myself, and I don't want to hold everyone else up. I've tried calling everyone, but their phones must be off. So, I'm sorry to bother you, but could you come in for a bit and help me with something?" Imani asked.

"Uhm, sure, no problem. What do you need?" He replied.

She motioned for him to come inside the door and then had him pull it to without closing it. She then turned her back facing him. "It's this. My hair is caught in the zipper of my dress, and I can't get it out. I was in too much of a hurry."

Uchi blushed, and he got a nosebleed at the sight of her from the rear view. She was wearing a burgundy sleeveless halter dress with a V-neck front. The back showed off her round curves, and her firm and round butt. Uchi just stared for a moment until Imani turned back and looked at him quizzically waiting. He finally came out of his trance and wiped his nose and then tried to untangle her hair from her dress.

* * *

In the mean time, Tsuchi was angrily talking to himself about Imani. "She runs off happily with him talking about design and houses, but when she needs help with something so simple like to get out of her dress she calls me." Tsuchi stopped and then thought. "GET OUT OF HER DRESS?" Tsuchi bolted out of the room and raced for Imani's room. He ran across the lobby, jumping over a series of chairs in his way. He punched the elevator button repeatedly trying to get it to open faster. When he could no longer wait, he ran up the stairs.

The same three young men who had been downstairs to witness Imani's arrival were in the lobby as Tsuchi raced upstairs.

"Did you see that? Fan boy just went racing up the stairs. Do you think they are doing a special stunt?" The skinny one asked.

"I don't know, but maybe they are filming the live action version. Should we go check it out?" The one with glasses replied.

"No, it's too early for the live action version. They only have two volumes out. That is not enough to film a live version. Still, maybe they are practicing for the special event tomorrow. Let's follow just in case. Gaijin sensei's arrival was totally cool. Maybe we will get some more really cool shots." A third boy agreed. They all followed Tsuchi up the stairs.

**

* * *

**

In the Rehearsal Room

Kekkon sama was checking her watch. "What is taking the maiden of honor so long to change? Shouldn't she be down here by now?"

Yankumi began to get nervous. "What if she ran into a problem?"

Shin put his arm around Yankumi cupped her chin. "Don't worry. She has Uchi to take care of her if she needs anything or has any problems."

"Maybe the best man is taking real good care of her?" Minami nudged Noda, and they chuckled.

Yankumi had Minami by the collar in a second. "What? Just what are you trying to imply? He better not be taking advantage of my sweet, pure, innocent little sister if he knows what is good for him." Shin pulled Yankumi away and took her hands away from Minami's throat.

"I'm sure everything is fine. She would have called if there was anything." Shin replied calmly.

"But, all of our phones were off. What if she tried to call us and couldn't reach us?" Yankumi worried and then ran to get her phone. She turned it back on and saw Imani had called her. "See, she called me." The others went to get their phones and turned them on to see that she had called them as well. "Oh, no something must be wrong. I'm going to check on her. I'll call Uncle to find out her room number and see if he knows what's wrong." The entire bridal party raced upstairs with Yankumi after hearing from her father.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tsuchi had already reached the door. He saw that it was closed, or so he thought. Then he listened through the door to hear Imani moan.

"Ngh, please be more gentle. That hurts." Imani grimaced.

"I'm sorry. It's stuck pretty good, but I just about have it out. Bear with it for a moment." Uchi told her.

At that Tsuchi was beside himself. He searched hurriedly for the spare key that he had gotten and then remembered he returned it to her father. When he heard Imani moan again, he decided to bust open the door. So he pushed against the door with all his might not knowing that the door was still open.

As a result, the door flew open throwing Imani and Uchi who were standing right behind the door to the floor and sending Tsuchi flying into the room.

"Ow." Imani moaned rubbing her neck. She had been thrown on her stomach to the floor and Uchi had landed on top of her. She turned over to lay on her back underneath Uchi not realizing that now his watch was caught in her hair and the zipper. So when she flipped over, it pulled her hair more causing her to exclaim. "Oh my God." She threw her head back. It was at that point that Tsuchi looked over to see Uchi straddling Imani and her with her head back screaming.

Tsuchi saw red, got up and tried to pull Uchi up off of her by the collar. "Just what the hell is going on here?" Tsuchi yelled.

Imani stopped him. "Tsuchi no. Don't pull him up! He's stuck."

"What!!" Tsuchi was now livid.

Uchi just chuckled and then got on his knees and slowly got up being careful to help Imani up without pulling her hair.

Imani sighed, frustrated. "This never would have happened if you had just come when I asked you. And why did you have to burst through the door like that?"

"Well, when I hear my girlfriend moaning through the door and some guy is in there with her, and she tells me she is going to have him help her get out of her dress, what do you expect me to do but break down the door?" Tsuchi looked at Imani incredulously.

"I expected you to know better by now. Haven't we gone through this before? Anyway, it wasn't necessary. The door was already open. And I was moaning because my hair got caught in the zipper of my dress. He was helping me untangle it so I could zip it up. Thanks to you now his watch is also stuck in my hair and in the zipper." Imani explained.

Tsuchi was embarrassed. "Oh, well why didn't you just tell me that in the first place? And why didn't you ask me to help you with your zipper?"

Imani clicked her tongue in frustration. "I did, but you were in a bad mood or something because you didn't even bother to listen to me."

Tsuchi bowed his head. "I'm sorry for misunderstanding again and being jealous. Since I'm here now, let me help you."

Imani smiled. "So you were jealous huh? Then I forgive you. That means you must love me a lot huh?"

Tsuchi looked at her. "Do you even have to ask? Yes, I love you a lot." He hugged her, but since Uchi's watch was also caught in her hair he ended up hugging Uchi's arm, too. Then Tsuchi looked at Uchi. "I'm sorry man. Thanks for helping my girlfriend."

"No problem man. Thinking back, I probably would have reacted the same way on hearing her moan and ask to be more gentle." Uchi smiled thinking of her words.

"Alright, let's get you two untangled." Tsuchi went to help.

"Oh yeah, let's at least close the door partially. We don't want anyone else coming by and getting the wrong idea." Imani chuckled, not realizing how true her words would be.

* * *

At that moment, the three anime convention attendees had just arrived on the floor and were looking around for Tsuchi but saw no trace. At the same time, Yankumi, the wedding party, Kekkon sama, Kurogin 3D and Imani's father had all arrived at the elevator. They ran to Imani's room, followed by the three otaku, who recognized the groomsmen from in front of the hotel.

As they arrived in front of her door, Yankumi asked everyone. "Did she say what the problem was?"

"No," her father shook his head. "She just said she would call someone else to ask. It has to be minor."

Imani grabbed her hair again and moaned. "Nnngh. Oh, it hurts. Please not so hard. I can't take it."

"I'm sorry. Please, stop moving. I'll be gentle. Just bear with it a little longer." Uchi replied.

"You better be gentle." Tsuchi warned. "Don't worry. I'll be gentle as well, Imani. How is this?"

At that her father searched frantically for and found the key as they heard Imani cry out loud. "What, it's already opened?" He looked at it. Yankumi reacted and kicked open the door, knocking the threesome on the floor into an awkward position. Everyone stood in shock because Tsuchi was on his hands and knees behind Imani with one hand in her hair, and she was also on her hands and knees and had her head flung back and was moaning, and Uchi was lying under her half sitting up with his arm around her neck. For a moment, no one could move and the only sound heard was that of a series of camera phones flashing and taking pictures.

Imani's father was the first to react. "Just what in the HELL is going on here?"

"Looks like manage et tois to me." Yabuki smiled.

"Uchi, you dog." Noda teased.

"Uchi, you're the man." Minami exclaimed.

"How dare you say something so nasty about my pure, innocent little sister? Do you want to die?" Yankumi pulled up all three boys.

"Daddy, it's not what you think." Imani hurriedly explained .

At that Fujiyama sensei, Kawashima sensei, Natsumi, and Shirokin 3D, except for Shin all stopped and stared at him. "Daddy?" They looked back and forth. "That's her father?" They all asked simultaneously.

"But she's ..." Noda pointed at Imani.

"Black." Imani finished for him.

"And he's …." Minami pointed at her father.

"Asian." Her father finished for Minami.

"Wait, didn't Shin say that she was adopted?" Kuma recalled the conversation, having never met Imani's father before.

"She was adopted but by her real father." Takeda began.

"Yeah, he only adopted her because it was easier than proving she was his real child to the orphanage in Hong Kong." Hyuga added nodding.

"Look at the eyes." Yabuki pointed out. The others looked between her and her father and nodded.

"Ohhhhh." They all stated together.

"But how?" Uchi asked.

"My mother was black. I'm mixed." Imani explained. "Now, if everyone doesn't mind, can we please get up and finish what we were doing?"

Her father had a fit. "Excuse me? Would you mind explaining to me just what you were doing, first?"

Imani sighed. "Okay, I was in a hurry, and my hair got caught in my dress. I tried to call all of you people, but no one was available. So I called Tsuchi, but he was busy getting fitted for the wedding. So he told me to ask Uchi. So, I did, but then Tsuchi came running up here since I told him that I was going to ask Uchi for help getting me out of my dress. We were standing behind the door, so when Tsuchi barged in the room, he knocked us down and Uchi's watch became entangled into my hair. So, Tsuchi was helping to untangle Uchi's watch and my hair from the zipper in my dress, when you guys barged in and knocked us down. Now, both their watches are stuck in my hair which is stuck in the zipper of my dress."

Minami, Noda, and Uchi smiled and nodded. "Just like Yankumi but the total opposite."

Yankumi and Imani's father smiled. "I knew my baby was still an innocent little virgin and wouldn't dream of doing anything perverted like the rest of you were thinking." He looked accusingly at all of the men.

"Virgin?" Shirokin 3D and some of the brides' maids exclaimed again shocked.

"Could you all stop doing that?" Imani asked.

"Yeah, and I told you my little sister was pure." Yankumi spoke up.

"Ah," Noda sighed. "Oh well, there goes my fantasies. At least I have pictures for my memories." He scrolled through his camera.

Imani's father glared. "Just a second, anyone with pictures, erase them now." The guys began protesting. "Or lose the phones." All the guys except for Shin took out their camera phones and erased them after groaning. "That includes you three near the door trying to escape." Her father told the three otaku who were sneaking out of the door. "Who are you guys anyway, and what are you doing here?"

"Oh, we are just attending the anime convention and saw the tall guy running across the lobby in a hurry. We figured it was some kind of live action event for the convention and wanted to follow and take pictures." The one with glasses spoke.

"Well, now you know that it is not. It is a private affair. So erase all of those pictures." Kenazawa sensei ordered.

"No, we want to keep them and post them on our blogs. That is all. We will not sell them or anything." The thin one explained.

Imani's father arched an eyebrow and then took out his business cards. "It wasn't a question. It was an order. Now, you will hand over your phones and I will erase those pictures or else you will be sued."

They looked at the name on the card. "Kenazawa sensei?" They bowed, handed over the phones, and apologized.

He erased the pictures and kept the phones. "Go downstairs and purchase new phones. Give them this as a voucher." He handed them another card with a note on the back. "Now leave." They ran out the door upset at not being able to keep their phones.

Imani rolled her neck around slowly and carefully. "If everyone is finished, could someone please help us up? I'd really like to get out of this position and this dress. " All the guys moved at once to help all three of them up.

Once they were back on their feet, Kekkon sama called the seamstress and asked her to come up while she ushered all the rest of the people back downstairs.

The seamstress looked at the tangled mess of hair, watches, and the zipper. She shook her head. "You either lose the zipper on the dress or the hair. Which is it?"

"The zipper. You can sew it back together right. I know my hair can grow back, but I want to keep my hair." Imani replied.

"Okay, the easiest way to do this is if you take off the dress." The seamstress told her.

"Oh, uhm, okay." She looked around in thought. "Daddy?" She motioned for her father to talk to her. She whispered in his ear.

He nodded. "I understand." He went over and got her a hotel robe. "You guys turn around and keep your eyes closed."

"Is this really necessary sir?" Tsuchi asked. "I've seen her naked be…"

"Just do it." Kenazawa sensei glared at Tsuchi.

"Yes, sir. Turning around sir. Eyes closed sir." Tsuchi turned around and closed his eyes while Imani undressed carefully pulling the dress over her head and then putting the robe on quickly.

A mere five minutes later, Uchi, Tsuchi, Imani, and her father all came downstairs. Imani was now wearing a purple satin one- piece pant suit. The top was sleeveless and tied around the neck. The bottom was pants that fit every curve well. She had on purple high-heeled sandals to match.

* * *

"Excuse me, may I have everyone's attention?" Kekkon sama began. "Now that everyone is present and accounted for." She looked in Imani's direction, who smiled and shrugged in response. "We can get started. The music will begin signaling for the officiant of the wedding to walk from behind the altar on to the stage, followed by the groom who will take his place on the left side and wait for the remainder of the procession. Next is Sawada san's parents. They will enter from the back of the room and will be escorted by a security guard disguised as a wedding party member and ushered to their seat to the front. After that, the music changes and we have the bride's maids and groomsmen enter. Instead of entering from the rear, they will enter from these side doors, bridesmaids to my right and groom's men to my left. You will wait in the foyer until my assistant's indicate that it is time to enter. Walk in time to the music until you reach the center and meet each other. Then you will bow to each other and the groomsmen will take the bridesmaid's arm and escort her down the aisle. When you get down the aisle, you will line up in reverse order and stand to the side of the bride and groom. I will illustrate." Kekkon sama looked around and then chose Kyou. "Kyou san, would you mind helping me demonstrate?" She had a coy voice.

"Sure thing Kekkon sama. No problem." Kyou went to the left side as Kekkon sama went to the right. They met in the middle, bowed, and then proceeded down the aisle. "It's that simple. This is how everyone will participate in the processional with the exception of the bride and groom of course and the best man and maiden of honor. I have something special planned for them to honor our foreign guests. I will introduce the pairs now. As I call your name, groomsmen will lineup to my left and bridesmaids to my right. Follow my assistants out to the foyers and wait for the music to begin. My assistants will cue your entrance. We already know that the best man is Uchiya san, and the maiden of honor is Harrison sensei. Then we have Tsuchiya Hikaru san replacing Tetsu san and Sawada Natsumi san. Following them will be Noda san and Fujiyama sensei."

"Yes." Noda smiled and pumped his arm. The others of Shirokin 3D pat him on the back.

"Next, we have Minami san escorting Kawashima sensei, and finally we have Minoru san accompanying Tsuchiya Mariko san."

"Wait a minute, they have the same last name, Tsuchiya Mariko and Hikaru could they be …" Minami asked.

"Brother and sister." Shin replied.

"As I mentioned before, please follow the assistants and wait until they cue you to come out and take your place. Then you will bow to your escort, take each other's arms and walk in time with the music with the exception of the best man and maiden of honor. Since we have quite a few foreign guests from western cultures, and since our maiden of honor grew up in the western culture, they will greet western style. Instead of bowing to one another, the best man will kiss the maiden of honor on both cheeks and she will return the kiss on both cheeks." Kekkon sama smiled.

"Luckyyyy." Minami stated.

"Score!" Noda cheered.

"Oh, hell no! No way. Nothing doing." Tsuchi made an "X" with his hands.

"But we want to honor our foreign guests and make them feel welcome. A kiss is nothing more than a way to greet each other in western society. It is a way of saying hello." Kekkon sama explained.

"Well, this isn't western society. This is Japan. Why can't they just bow like the rest of us?" Tsuchi argued. "If not, then I guess Yankumi will have to choose another maiden of honor."

Yankumi had Tsuchi in a chokehold in seconds. "What did you say? Are you trying to ruin my wedding? Get another maiden of honor? I barely made it through this week with her being in Hong Kong. How can I make it through the wedding without my precious little sister by my side?"

Shin went over and pulled Yankumi off of Tsuchi and stood in between them. He bent down to look her in the eyes and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Calm down my lovely bride. No one is going to ruin the wedding, and we will both be here by your side." He looked over at Imani and nodded.

Imani put her arm around Yankumi. "That's right, Miko. Tsuchi is just being paranoid. Of course, I wouldn't miss being your maiden of honor for the world. Like I said, even if I have to kill." She whispered the rest under her breath. "Luckily it didn't come to that."

"Eh?" Yankumi asked.

"Nothing." Imani responded quickly smiling.

"Then if she is going to be the maiden of honor, I should be the best man. If anyone is going to kiss her, I should be the one since I am her boyfriend." Tsuchi protested.

Shin smirked and gave Tsuchi a side-long glance. "No offense Tsuchi, but if it's all the same to you, I'd rather stick with Uchi. Our girls may be close, but you and I are not."

Kekkon sama frowned. "Oh dear, if it's going to cause this much problem, then perhaps we should not do it."

"No." Uchi said quickly. They all stared at him. "I mean …" He paused and scratched the back of his head.

"What he means is that it really should be left to the people who will be kissing on whether or not they mind doing it. I, personally, don't mind. I'm used to it. It is how I greet people all the time anyway." Imani finished for Uchi.

"I don't mind either." Uchi smiled at Imani thankful.

"I don't mind." Noda piped up. Everyone glared at him. "I mean. I wouldn't mind if it were me." They continued glaring at him. "I mean. Why don't we all do it so that way no one will ever feel uncomfortable?"

"Well, about that I'm not sure. The others might mind." Kekkon sama responded.

"No. Uh-uh. Not a problem." The rest of the guys with the exception of Tsuchi spoke. They looked at him.

"What about the ladies? I'm sure they mind." Tsuchi responded.

"I'm fine with it." Kawashima sensei spoke.

"Me, too." Mariko said.

"As a senator's daughter, I'm used to it." Natsumi mentioned.

"Who cares since it's only a greeting?" Fujiyama sensei shrugged. They turned to Tsuchi expectantly. He shrugged.

"But we won't be honoring both cultures if everyone greets each other the western way." Kekkon sama frowned again.

"Then why don't we do both. We can bow to each other and then kiss. That way will honor and acknowledge both cultures." Imani suggested.

"Harrison sensei, you are a genius. That's a great idea." Kekkon sama's smile returned. "Places everyone, we have already wasted enough time, and time is short. Please follow my assistants, wait for their instructions, and then meet in the middle and bow to each other and then the groomsman kisses the bridesmaid on both cheeks, and she returns it. Now everyone hurry. Dinner will be served in an hour."

They began practice. At first the kiss on both cheeks was awkward. Minoru was too nervous to kiss Mariko and missed her cheeks only kissing air. Mariko had to kiss his cheeks first which were fire engine red. When Fujiyama went to kiss Noda, he quickly turned his cheek so that she kissed him on the lips instead. Then he pretended to blush, covered his mouth, and giggled.

"Oops, what to do, sensei? I turned my head too quickly, and you missed my cheeks and got my lips instead." Noda chuckled. Fujiyama sensei responded with a quick slap and hurried down the aisle dragging Noda.

Not to be outdone, Minami also acted slyly and kissed Kawashima sensei on the lips, which earned him a good slap on the cheek.  
"You little pervert. You are 100 years too early to try that on me and to handle a grown woman like me." Kawashima sensei fussed at him.

Everyone had to hold in their laughter as the Tsuchi and Natsumi came through the doors next. Tsuchi was hesitant as he bent down toward Natsumi, and he stopped himself just before his lips touched her cheeks.

He stood up and shook his head. "I'm sorry. I just can't do it."

"Oh, come on man. It's not like it's on the mouth. It's just an insignificant kiss on the cheek." Noda told him.

"Yeah, it's not like your girlfriend is in here or will see the kiss either." Minami offered.

"See, that's why you should have let me do it. I almost fit the tux, but most importantly I would have no problems kissing that pretty young lady." Yabuki smiled and winked at Natsumi.

"We don't have a lot of time left. So, just bow for now." Kekkon sama ushered them down the aisle.

When Uchi bent to kiss Imani on the cheek he glanced toward Tsuchi first who was glaring at him and then he lightly pecked Imani on the cheeks. Imani gave Uchi a nice smooch on the cheeks in return which had Tsuchi livid. So on the next round, Tsuchi did not hesitate to plant a decent kiss on Natsumi's cheeks.

"Great, now we can move on to the bride's entrance. The bride will come from the rear entrance, escorted by her grandfather with Kyou san closely following. Wakamatsu will be on the left flank, and Sugawara will be on the right flank. Tetsu will be guarding the entrance at the rear in a wheelchair to make sure he has their backs. Did I get the defense formation correct?" Kekkon sama asked Kyou. He gave her the "OK" symbol and winked to indicate affirmatively.

Thirty minutes later, they had completed rehearsal and headed to a private dining room one floor above to have the rehearsal dinner. Kuma was there with his staff and bowed as they all entered. They enjoyed their meal without incident. According to Yankumi it was the only part of her wedding that week that was not problematic.

"Kuma, everything was delicious and perfect. This is the only thing that had no incidents this whole week." Yankumi smiled brightly at her former student.

Shin, Imani, and Kuma all exchanged knowing glances, nods, and smiles.

And so, being lulled into a false sense of security by the non-problematic rehearsal dinner and the respective toast to the brides preceding the bachelorette party and toast to the groom preceding the stag night, the maiden of honor and best man were ill prepared for what their duty would entail later that evening.

* * *

(**A/N**): Sorry it took me so long to update. I went out of town for my job and that was hectic to prepare for even though it was a short trip. Also, I had thought about separating this chapter into two, but decided not to since the latter half was not that long. Mariko, Tsuchi's sister is a character I made up for my Gokusen 2 fanfic Lost & Found. Be warned that the next chapter references that story quite a bit. You may want to reference the chapters containing the second date.


	13. Ch 13: Stag Night: I'm Gonna Kill Sawada

**Disclaimer**: Same as Chapter 12

**RECAP**: After Imani had a wardrobe malfunction and misunderstandings with Tsuchi and the wedding party, and after they worked through the international greeting issues for the rehearsal, everything went according to plan including the rehearsal dinner hosted by Kuma. This chapter references Gokusen 2 Lost and Found Chapters 16 and 17.

* * *

**Chapter 13 Stag Night: I'm Gonna kill Sawada**

"Are you sure that's what she said?" Imani asked.

"Yes, she made a phone call, got angry and left saying 'I'm SO gonna kill Sawada.'" Fujiyama had a murderous glint in her eye and husky voice in imitation of Yankumi.

Imani hit her hand with her head. "Okay, explain to me exactly what happened from beginning to end."

* * *

**Four Hours Earlier**

After dinner the males and females separated to attend their respective toasts followed by the bachelor/bachelorette parties. Since many of the guests were foreign and had not been present for the bridal shower, they decided to hold a toast prior to the bachelorette party for the foreign diplomat wives to meet the bride and provide her with their sage advice. An hour and a half later, it was still in progress since so many of the diplomat's wives had so much "knowledge" to offer. In fact, it probably would have continued on had it not been for the Tenkai kumi sisterhood offering their advice.

"Kumiko, we know you grew up in a house full of men, and so you probably don't know how to handle a man since this is your first time." Sakura san began. "So, we have come to offer you advice on how to please a man. At first he'll just be satisfied to be with you since it has been so long for him, at least it better be a long time, for his sake. After a while, he'll become bored. So you need to have some weapons in your arsenal to help you out."

"Uhm, weapons … arsenal?" Yankumi shook her head confused. "Ano, do we really need weapons to help us with th-**that**? Will I have to threaten him with a knife or sword or gun or something to get him to … to (pause) you know?" Yankumi was beat red now.

One of the branch family anesans answered. "No, dear, not those types of weapons. We are talking about weapons to use to keep him interested. You know, different positions, different techniques, different outfits, maybe cosplay and even some adult stimulus."

Imani cringed and then ran up to Tenkai Sakura and whispered in her ear. "Auntie, shouldn't we wait to tell her this privately? After all, there are so many foreigners here. We don't want to give them our secrets, or we may hurt the hostess business."

Tenkai Sakura looked around noting that all of the women had pulled out notepads and pens and were paying rapt attention. "You're right, dear. The little raven is so smart as usual." She pat Imani on the head, and Imani breathed a sigh of relief. "Well, we can have that discussion in private like the talk every mother gives her daughter." She told Yankumi.

With that, Kekkon sama rushed in to end the toast. "Thank you ladies. We hope you had a lovely evening. Don't forget to sign the guestbook for us to send thank you letters to all you ladies for your honored presence. My assistants will be passing out a memento. Please make sure you take yours." She smiled. _I wonder when I can get some more headache medicine from Kyou san. I wonder how the men's side is going._

* * *

**The Men's Toast**

The men's toast ended much quicker than the ladies did of course. The men did not have nearly as much sage advice to offer as did the women. It was more like a meet and greet mixer with Shin being introduced to all of the "Who's Who" of the Diet members. As a result, he had accumulated a mass of name cards. He was also bored out of his skull. Fortunately for him, Yankumi's grandfather noted it and made a play. When Shin's father saw the kumi mixing in with the diplomats, he abruptly ended the night much to Shin's amusement.

"Gentlemen, I want to thank you for coming and supporting my son and for attending his wedding, but I think it is time for our evening to end. We want to let the groom get some rest and spend some time with his friends not with a bunch of old government officials like ourselves. So once more, a toast to my son to congratulate him on his wedding. Kanpai." Shin's father raised his glass, and they all drank and left.

Once they were all gone, Shin went to thank Kuroda. "My pleasure, my son. This is your last night as a single man. You are meant to have fun not play politics." Kuroda shook Shin's hand. "Just don't have too much fun and make my Kumiko cry, neh?" He pulled Shin in closely and pressed Shin's hand. Shin winced, smiled, and nodded.

"No need to worry boss. I got everything under control." Kyou came up and put an arm around Shin's shoulders and winked at him.

* * *

On the ladies side, the bridal party, the anesan's from the kumi, and some of the other younger sisters from various bars and hostess clubs managed by the families met in another room. That's when they brought out the other presents. Yankumi smiled. "Guys, you have already given me so many presents. I don't need any more. Thank you anyway."

"Now, now, now, you definitely need these for the wedding night and the honeymoon. If we left buying these things up to you, who knows what you will end up with. I'm sure Shin will be grateful." Kawashima sensei smiled and took a swig from her glass.

Yankumi opened it and blushed. "Now don't be shy. Hold it up. These are some of the weapons that auntie was talking about." Fujiyama sensei winked at her.

Yankumi held up a black see-through nightie with a thong panty, garter belt, and lace black stockings attached. She blushed furiously.

"Oh come on girl, loosen up. You better not act all shy like this with an experienced man like Shin or he'll turn to another source for stimulation." Fujiyama told her. "Someone get this girl a drink to help her get loose." Fujiyama yelled already tipsy from having downed four glasses of sake.

"Another source? What do you mean?" Yankumi asked after taking the drink.

"We mean like videos." Fujiyama and Kawashima said together as they took out one of the gifts from a gift bag. "Now open the rest of your gifts and let's see what you got in your arsenal. Make sure you put them to good use." Kawashima sensei winked.

"Don't worry. She just needs to refer to the gift they we gave her." Yasue san smiled shyly and presented Yankumi with a book. Yankumi opened it and blushed furiously.

"Th-this is … ?" Yankumi asked.

"Oh, it is a book of all of our best methods with pictures and illustrations for it to be easy for you to follow." Yasue san told her gently. "Here is a video also to help you."

Yankumi nodded and downed another drink quickly.

* * *

(**A/N**: From here on out, I will not make specific reference to who is making comments, unless it is necessary to identify them since there are so many guys in attendance.)

**Bachelor Party**

Speaking of videos, the men had at first played poker, pool, drank, and smoked cigars to relax. That is, until Shin's father finally left. Then Kyou gathered everyone around. "Alright guys, it's time for the entertainment."

There were cheers and whistles as one of them shouted. "Bring on the girls."

Kyou held up his hands. "Okay, calm down. Now, you know that Ojou always insists that you guys will always be her precious students, except for Shin here who managed to make her see him as a man."

Again, there were whistles, cheers, and "Way to go Shin."

"Because of that, I promised Ojou that I wouldn't corrupt her precious students with questionable entertainment." Kyou continued.

"Awwww. Hiss. Booooo." There were jeers from the group.

"Hey, Ojou warned me that she would either kill me or rob me of my manhood if I do. So, don't blame me." The guys all cringed and nodded in empathy. "But don't worry. I have some quality entertainment lined up for you. I have two videos for you to see. One is a date movie, and the other is a chick fight." Kyou held up two videos. "Now, before I show you either video, I must tell you about two things. First, you absolutely have to swear on your lives that you will never tell Ojou that you saw these videos or that one of them exists. I mean it. In fact, Kenazawa sensei here, has legal documents for you to sign to swear that you will never tell Ojou on penalty of being sued." They all looked surprised as he passed out documents and pens for them to sign. "Second, these videos are available to purchase for 2500 yen a piece or 4500 yen for the set."

"Whatever, man. Who would want to buy those videos?" They all blew him off.

"Okay, so which do you want to see first, the date movie or the fight movie?" Kyou asked.

"The date movie, let's get the boring one out of the way first." Noda spoke first.

"Yeah." All the others agreed.

Kyou then nodded and put it in. "I want to warn you. It starts a little slow at first, but picks up after a while."

When the video began, Odagiri and Tsuchi recognized the house immediately, as did Yabuki. Shin, Takeda, and Hyuuga thought it looked vaguely familiar. Then they saw the back view of a young man that they recognized right away.

Yabuki poked Odagiri in the ribs. "No way, dude. This is _that_ date. I'm so buying it."

"Shut up." Odagiri hissed as he looked toward Tsuchi, who was biting his jaw.

"Dude, doesn't that kid at the front door look like …" Minami nodded his head toward Odagiri. "What, the girl opened the door and kissed him already? Man, Kyou san lied to us. You said it would start slow, but they are already getting down to business."

They watched as the young lady kissed the boy and then invited him in.

Takeda and Hyuuga whispered to each other. "Didn't that look like Ryo and Imani?"

"Yeah."

"Woah, did you see that? Some one is in the trees watching them. He's dressed like a ninja." "Dude, are we going to find out what's going on inside the house? Looking at his face, he's upset about whatever is happening in the house. I'd like to know what he's looking at that's got him mad." Noda commented.

"Just keep watching." Kyou smiled.

The couple came out to the astonishment of most of the guys. They whistled. "Woohoo, the lady in red, wait, that's, that's …" Noda pointed.

"Yankumi's little sister." Minami finished.

"And that guy." Someone hooked a thumb toward Odagiri.

They continued watching as they got in the cab, being followed by a ninja and went to a restaurant.

They listened to them in the cab on the way to the restaurant and then talk idly while they were having dinner.

"Hey, when are we going to get to the good part?"

"Be patient, one of my favorite parts is coming up." Kyou assured them. They continued watching until they got to the part where she gave him a foot massage.

"Damn!!!" They exclaimed. "You are right. This is getting interesting. Look at his face."

They turned to Odagiri. "Dude, how could you stand that?" Odagiri just smiled and shook his head. Then Odagiri turned cautiously to look at Tsuchi who was biting his lip and looking upset.

"Wait, rewind that part. I want to see it again."

"Buy the video, and you can rewind it as many times as you like." Kyou said.

They continued watching as she told her tragic story of how she met Yankumi and her mother's death. All the guys were emotional and sad. Kuma looked as if he would give way to tears any second. Finally, the action picked up again as she grabbed Odagiri's tie and pulled him to her to kiss him when they left the restaurant and got into the cab.

"No way, they are going to do it in the back of a cab?"

"Oh, man. I like the way she moans."

The guys continued watching as they headed toward a karaoke place and when Odagiri sang first and danced.

"Nice dance." Yabuki elbowed Odagiri who scowled.

"I think he has a dreamy voice." Takeda mocked Odagiri with fake stars in his eyes.

When Imani's turn came and she straddled Odagiri and gave him a lap dance, they all exclaimed "Woah."

"Man, that girl is better than some of the erotic dancers I've seen."

"I bet she'd be good on a pole."

"I'd certainly pay top dollar to see it."

Her father cleared his throat uncomfortably, and everyone continued to watch in silence. Tsuchi was grasping the seat of his chair with white knuckles until the action picked up again.

When the door burst open, they all yelled in shock. "Eh, it's not the stalker. Wait it's that other bride's maid. His sister." They pointed at Tsuchi.

Tsuchi was livid when he saw Mariko slap Imani. _Looks like I need to have a talk with my sister_.

Everyone watched as Imani touched Mariko, and she fainted. Then she was taken out of the room and put in a taxi. They all were sad as Imani cried again and promised to stay away from all of them. When Odagiri sang to her to comfort her and kissed her, Tsuchi was angry. His anger subsided as they continued taking turns singing until the last song. They were dancing closely and grinding against each other, and then they began kissing again.

"Woah, they are at it again. Are they really going to do it in the karaoke room?"

"Man, he just lay her down on the seat. It looks like it's time for action." They continued watching as they left the room, and Imani pushed Odagiri against the wall and kissed him. They saw the stalker furious and about to attack until the waiter interrupted them and suggest they go to a love motel.

"Man, can't the waiter just leave them alone and let them finish?" They continued to watch and listen.

"Wow, they are all over each other. They may not make it to the motel."

"Hey, why are they stopping at the pharmacy? Are they going to do it there?"

"Naugh, he's responsible. He's getting protection. Good man." They gave him the thumbs up signal.

Yabuki whispered to Odagiri. "I can see why Tsuchi was so ticked at you that time, but I still wish I were in your place."

Odagiri scoffed. "Keep watching and tell me that after you get to the end."

As Imani and Odagiri made their way to the love motel, kissing and fondling each other the entire way, they also saw the ninja stalker closely following them. Finally they got to the motel.

"What are they waiting for? Why don't they go up to the room already?"

"It probably isn't clean from the last guests."

"Oh, they are waiting for the ninja stalker to arrive."

"Room 3D? I bet that was Yankumi's idea." Yabuki joked to Odagiri.

"Finally, they are going to the room."

They separated in the elevator. Then they watched as Imani move toward Odagiri, kiss his ear and begin kissing him again. When Odagiri lifted her up and carried her to the door, everyone was paying rapt attention.

"Okay, now we're talking. It's time for some action."

Then they watched as a two yakuza scaled down the elevator shaft only to find the elevator ceiling now empty. "The ninja was on top of the elevator, but they missed him."

They returned to the motel room scene where Odagiri had put Imani on the bed and was on top of her. Odagiri snuck a glance at Tsuchi who was glaring at him. He looked around to see that Imani's father was also glaring at him. Odagiri quickly looked at the video again. On the video, they saw Odagiri leave to go to the restroom and then return a short time later in a robe. They also saw Imani discarding her clothes from under the covers.

"Take it off, baby!"

When they saw Odagiri leaning in to kiss Imani. "Uh oh, he's going in for the kill."

"Eh?" They all asked as they saw the ninja with a sharp object at Odagiri's throat. "What? The ninja is going in for the kill too. Where did he come from? How did he get in there?"

Tsuchi looked at Odagiri anxiously and bowed his head in apology. Odagiri shook his head.

"Oh man, it looks like they are never going to do it."

"Wait, what the … Where did the other yakuza come from, and how did they sneak up on him without making a sound?" They exclaimed as they watched as four yakuza surrounded the ninja.

"Oh my god, another one?" They exclaimed as the real Odagiri stepped out of the bathroom.

"Odagiri, you have a twin?" Yabuki and the others asked.

Odagiri shook his head. "Just watch."

"DAMN!!! Look at that body suit."

"Look at that body."

"Kyou could you please pause it right there."

"Oh wait, she disappeared. What happened? There's smoke everywhere."

"That ninja threw down a smoke bomb." They continued watching.

"Oh crap, he got Imani." They watched as the ninja backed toward the door and then fell forward as the door was kicked open.

"Yankumi!!!!" Everyone shouted except for Odagiri.

"Way to go sensei." "She's awesome." "She came in just in time to save the day as usual."

Shin paid rapt attention at the next part as the ninja threw a small knife toward Yankumi.

"Yankumi, get out of the way!" All of the guys were yelling at the video screen.

"Woah, her little sister is fast. Did you see her catch that knife before it reached Yankumi and throw it back at him?"

"Yeah, too bad she missed."

"No, she didn't. Look his face is bleeding, and he looks ticked."

"Oh my god, he's so ticked that he is even attacking Imani."

"Why did Yankumi tell the kumi to stand down? Imani can't fight a ninja by herself!"

"Or can she?" They asked after Imani dodged at the last minute and hit the stalker in the chest.

"Uh oh, did she just tell him to bring it on?"

"I believe so, and he's bringing it."

"Oh snap, he just got served." They watched her block all his hits and kicks, return some punches, do a forward roll, kick him under the chin and finally flip him on the floor and put her foot on his throat and stop her punch right before she hit his face.

"Awesome!" Almost everyone stood up and applauded.

Tsuchi was impressed and at the same time a bit anxious. _I treated someone who could do that so badly at that time. God, I was stupid. I didn't know she had skills like that. I better treat her better from now on. I'm lucky that she didn't do anything to me that time._

They continued to watch as Yankumi tried to get Odagiri to leave, and he protested. They continued to watch as Odagiri waited for Imani to get dressed.

"Aw, she is going to get dressed again. Granted, she does look hot in that red dress." They all nodded and kept watching.

"Man, women sure do take a long time in the bathroom. It's been five minutes. Uh oh, he's not waiting. He is going in."

"She's crying, again." Kuma sounded sad. Odagiri helped Imani up, held her and then she tried to leave but was blocked by the men in black.

"Woah, who are those men in black?"

"The Kens." All of Kurogin 3D replied simultaneously.

"The Kens?" Most of the others replied.

"Her security team." Yabuki told them matter-of-factly. They continued watching as she ran toward the balcony and poised to jump.

"Don't let her jump!" They all yelled, except Odagiri. In the video, Odagiri stopped her, and she kissed him, took off her shoes and jumped below.

"Woah, nice distraction." Finally, Odagiri called in her security team and then ran down the stairs to meet Imani in the taxi.

Kyou stopped the video. "Eh, so what do you boys think?"

They all looked up at him, applauded, and then took out their wallets. "How much was it again?"

"2500 for one and 4500 yen for the both. I suggest you put away your money until you see the second one. Now, for the next video, it is a chick fight featuring some of the same talent seen in the last video."

"Wait, I got some questions." Noda said. "So, which one of you was she dating first and who stole her from whom?" He looked at Tsuchi and Odagiri.

"At that time, I confessed but she rejected me. So we weren't dating." Tsuchi explained.

"Our date was fake to trap the stalker." Odagiri explained.

"I got a question." Minami chimed in. "Like, what's with your sister? Why was she so pissed? Was she dating him too?" He pointed at Odagiri.

"No. She was taking up for me." Tsuchi explained again.

"I've got another question. Sir, why did you let us watch that? I mean your daughter was hot in there." Noda asked her father.

"Did you see what she did to the ninja stalker?" Her father asked.

"Yes." Noda responded.

"Do any of you think you can take her?" Her father asked again. They all shook their head. "I rest my case."

"I have a question." Kuma spoke up. "Was that the stalker who she went to testify against in Hong Kong and who ki …"

Before Kuma could finish, Shin, Uchi, Noda, and Mianami covered his mouth and shook their heads. Both Kenazawa sensei and Odagiri shook their heads and nodded toward Tsuchi. Kyou put his hand on his chin pretending to rub it, but he was really pointing toward Tsuchi.

"Enough questions, moving on to the next video." Kyou hurried to start the tape of Yankumi and Imani's first sparring session. They all began to cheer for both women and were really into the fight. Yabuki looked at Odagiri who was smiling smugly.

"Dude, don't tell me you've seen this before?" Yabuki asked him.

Odagiri nodded. "Yeah, I was there when it happened, and I have a copy of the video."

"Punk! Why didn't you ever let us see it?" Yabuki asked.

"Fear." Odagiri spoke quickly. Yabuki looked puzzled. "I can't win against them." Odagiri pointed at the scene.

Forty five minutes later the fight ended. "A draw? Still that was awesome."

As everyone was taking out their wallets again to get a copy of the second video, Tsuchi asked for Odagiri to step outside with him. When they were outside, Tsuchi bowed to Odagiri. "For treating you coldly and being mad at you about the two dates, I'm sorry. And thank you for risking your life for me."

Odagiri quickly lifted Tsuchi up and shook his head. "No, don't. There's no need to apologize. Seeing the video from the start and not knowing how it ended or why we went on the date, I would have been mad too. I would have lost my mind. If it's anyone you should be thanking or should be sorry to, it's Imani. Man, if she hadn't found that double for me, I might have lost my head as well. She's the one you need to apologize to especially since you treated her so coldly for such a long time. Why do you think she decided to spar with Yankumi?" Tsuchi looked at Odagiri puzzled. "It was to work off her frustration from dealing with you."

Tsuchi shuddered. "She must have been really mad. I'm on my way now." Tsuchi left and then turned back to hand Odagiri some money. "Make sure that I get a copy of both videos." Odagiri nodded.

**

* * *

**

Women's side

One hour, six drinks per guest (Imani excluded), and many gifts of racy lingerie and adult paraphernalia after the bridal shower, Yankumi was still getting advice from the clan obasans on how to satisfy a man and how to keep him satisfied. Yankumi with cheeks flush, this time due to the drink and not the explicit nature of the conversation, was asking questions.

"But do you really think Shin will cheat if I don't keep things interesting and do all that?" She asked pointing at numerous items she received.

"Honey let me tell you." A tipsy Kikuno began. "All men cheat or want to. If they do not, then they haven't found the right person that interests them enough to cheat with or discreet enough. Take my Tomoya, for instance."

"Ah, you mean Shinohara san?" Yankumi asked.

"That's right, Tomoya. We've been together for six months now, but he still has some 1st love that he can't forget in his heart, and he keeps me at a distance. I think he even went to visit her this week to get her back. He doesn't think I know, but I know when a man's heart isn't complete toward me. I hope I get to meet that … that woman some day."

Yankumi panicked, shook her head, and waved her hands in front of her. "It's not me." She lied.

"Of course, it isn't you. Tomoya has his standards after all. Why would he choose you when he has me? Kikuno stuck out her chest.

"Or he could have chosen me." Shizuka chimed in, raising her hand and taking another drink.

Yankumi smiled falsely. "If that were true, then why did he come looking for me professing his love yesterday?" She said under her breath through gritted teeth.

"Did you say something?" Kikuno asked Yankumi. Yankumi shook her head smiling and gulped down another drink.

"Anyway, what Kikuno is saying is right." Shizuka continued. "Most men each cheat, are planning to cheat, or they are gay. In that case, they are really a cheat." She paused in thought. "Or they are a very special, rare breed." She paused again. "Take your Shin for example. He has been very patient with you, but I bet that's only because he had women lined up to satisfy him those three years while he was away in foreign countries. But once the honeymoon is over, there will be women lining up to service him. After all, it is a woman's duty to satisfy her man. If she isn't, she has no one to blame but herself if he strays unless the man is just a dog."

"That's right." One of the anesans with dyed blonde hair spoke. "So just take our advice on keeping him satisfied, and he won't go anywhere. If he does, just call us, and we'll give you a different arsenal to use to get him back on the straight and narrow."

Yankumi began to fret. Imani jumped in. "Aunties, I'm sure that Shin is not like that. He is probably one of those very special, rare breeds that wouldn't look at another woman. After all, it takes a really special, rare, type of man to win the Oeda clan's ojou's heart right?"

"That's true." Tenkai Sakura nodded. "He is special for the clan to accept him and for him to wait for her. But you can only keep a man waiting for so long before he'll start to tire."

"What if the couple is not married and has been together for a while but wants to wait until marriage?" Imani asked beginning to worry.

"If he agreed to that, then he probably already has his bit on the side." Another clan anesan spoke.

"Ano, I don't think that is always the case." Wakamatsu Yasue spoke gently. "I've never had trouble with Wakamatsu."

"Shut up, Yasue." The others told her. Yasue smiled shyly and nodded.

"She's the exception to the rule." Sakura continued. "Mark my words, whether married or single, keep him interested, do not keep him waiting, and keep it fresh." She counted on her fingers.

"But"… Imani was about to ask another question when Tsuchi called her outside.

* * *

Tsuchi took her to a place away from everyone else and then sat her down on the couch. "Soooo, how is the bachelor party going so far?" Imani asked him.

He arched an eyebrow at her and then spoke. "It's going. So far we have watched two very interesting videos with the same heroine in both. How about your side? How is the party?"

"Ah. It's interesting." Imani answered lightly. "Is the heroine an actress that I like?"

"That … she is not a well-known actress but she is someone that I love very much." Tsuchi replied. "And someone who I owe my life to and need to thank and apologize to." He stood in front of her and bowed low. "For risking your life to save me and my family, thank you very much. Also, for the way I treated you that time and for doubting you and not giving you the chance to explain, I'm sorry. "

Imani shook her head, got up, and brought Tsuchi upright. "No, Hikaru, no, it's okay. You don't need to thank me nor apologize. If it wasn't for me, your family wouldn't have been in that situation in the first place. And I never blamed you for how you felt although you should have given me the chance to explain. Really, it's okay." She caressed his cheek and looked up at him with big, soft brown eyes. "If anyone should apologize, it should be me. I know how the first part of that video tape must have looked to you and everyone."

Tsuchi shook his head and placed her hands on either side of his face. "You don't have to apologize. I can't believe how close you and Odagiri came to death, and you were almost kidnapped. I can't believe you two went through all that for me. Also, I'm sorry about Mariko slapping you. I'll have a good talk with her about that." Tsuchi caressed Imani's cheek.

Imani frowned. "No, you don't have to. I never blamed her and besides I knocked her out afterward. So, I was the one who should have apologized. And about you believing that we would go through that for you. Of course we would. You are important to us. We love you. I LOVE YOU." She hugged him and then pushed him back. "So, now you see why I owe him a proper date. Actually, I owe him two proper dates." She paused looked down and frowned. "Ano…" She shook her head and looked up at him. "Tsuchi, can I ask you something?" He frowned cautiously and nodded. They continued talking.

* * *

Meanwhile, back at Yankumi's bachelorette party after Imani left, Fujiyama sensei looked at Kawashima sensei and nodded. "Okay, now that the baby is out of the room, we can have some adult like fun ladies." Kawashima began as Fujiyama made a phone call.

"Hey, what baby are you talking about? Aren't we all adults here and entertaining ourselves (hic)?" Yankumi asked confused.

"Yes, but now it is time for some real adult entertainment. Ladies, I present to you Bishounen!" Fujiyama yelled and opened the door to a very nicely built man with long silky black hair, a cowboy hat, boots, and a long trench coat on. He had a portable CD player with him and was playing music. He then took off his trench coat to reveal a well-built, muscular, tanned, glistening body and nothing on but a G-string. He was gyrating his hips and dancing erotically. All the women except for Yankumi, Natsumi, Yasue, and Sakura san gathered around him to dance, touch him, or give him money. Yankumi was watching all the ladies dancing, and she was flush with embarrassment. It was ten minutes later when things began to deteriorate. They led the guy over to Yankumi, and he gave her a lap dance. Yankumi was uncomfortable and when her face devilized, Fujiyama and Kawashima quickly pulled the man off her, paid him, and had him leave.

"You – you people call that adult entertainment? A naked man dancing like that?" Yankumi had a deep voice.

"What it's not like you haven't seen that kind of thing before? Doesn't your family own both host and hostess clubs and strip clubs?" Fujiyama sensei asked.

"That, but I've never gone into those clubs to watch." Yankumi's cheeks were crimson. "Only when they need muscle for something."

"Hey, don't you like half-naked men? I've seen your fundoshi calendar." Kawashima sensei chided her.

"Hey, that's different. Those men all wear those with pride and honor. It takes a real man to wear one." Yankumi sat up straight and had a look of determination on her face.

"Anyway, from tomorrow on, you'll only have one man to dance naked for you. You should at least have one good memory before him to last on those days when Sawada's looks fade." One of the obasans said.

"Yeah, besides, Shin is probably doing the same thing right now." Fujiyama sensei remarked.

"Huh, the same thing?" Yankumi looked puzzled.

"Yeah, right now I bet he's handcuffed to some stripper, and she's giving him a lap dance." Fujiyama continued.

"There's no way he's doing that." Yankumi smiled confident. "Shin's not like that. He isn't like every other man."

"You can say that again. After all he chose you." Kawashima said under her breath.

"What was that?" Yankumi had an evil look on her face.

"No, nothing. I'm just saying are you sure Shin is not trying to have one more fling before he's stuck with you for the rest of his life?" Kawashima sensei asked.

"Hey, that's not." Yankumi thought and then decided to call him. She took out her cell phone and dialed Shin's number.

**

* * *

**

At the Bachelor Party Minutes Earlier

Shin was staring at his phone deep in thought wondering whether or not to call. He put the phone on the table as Kyou made an announcement.

"I promised Yankumi that I wouldn't have any questionable entertainment at this little do." Kyou began. "But she didn't say that we couldn't have any cultural entertainment." Kyou wriggled his eyebrows. "Gentleman, I present to you our exotic dancer who is going to educate you in flexibility, Swan River."

Several of them arched one eyebrow. "I know I ain't cultured or smart or anything, but isn't it supposed to be Swan Lake?" Noda asked.

They watched as a woman came out in leotard with feathers all around dancing like a ballerina. She then tiptoed in, plieing and bowed gracefully. Kyou switched the music, and she began bending over backwards and picking off the feathers with her toes from parts of her body. Where the feathers came off revealed a shear leotard underneath. The guys watched and pretty soon started to cheer.

"Hey, isn't that the Lord of the Rings?" Minami asked now tipsy.

"You mean the Lord of the Dance?" Kuma replied.

"Wait the Mistress of the Night?" Noda asked.

"Whatever, isn't that our dance teacher from the other day?" Minami asked.

They looked closer at her and then jumped back as they recognized her. Shin shook his head. "Okay, that's my cue. I'm definitely returning to my room and calling it a night." Shin downed his drink in one gulp and moved to get up. Noda drug him down.

"Wait, Shin, this party is for you, and this is your night. How can you leave it so early?" Noda asked.

"Like this." Shin moved Noda's arm and got up to walk out. _Besides, I have some things to think over._

"Wait, Shin, let's at least have one last toast among Shirokin 3D." Noda asked.

"I guess that's okay." Shin sighed. Noda went and poured a drink. He looked around to make sure that no one looked at him and poured some powder in Shin's drink. He stirred it so that it would dissolve right away. He came back smiling and gave everyone a drink.

"To our fearless leader, Shin, congratulations, good luck, make us proud, and represent 3D well. Kanpai!!!" Noda raised his glass and toasted Shin.

"Kanpai!!" The other four raised their glasses and cheered. Noda watched to make sure that Shin drank all of it, and then he smiled. Shin got up. "Okay, I'm outta here. Thanks for the party guys. It's been real." Shin said good bye to the kumi and Imani's father and then left in deep thought. Noda chuckled as he watched Shin walk away.

Minami nudged Noda. "What's so funny? Spill."

Noda smiled. "It's nothing. I just gave Shin an early wedding present. It's a little pick me up for the honeymoon tomorrow."

"What, you gave him drugs?" Uchi was upset.

"No, just some herbs that should help with tomorrow night's performance." Noda downed his drink and put the glass down. "It will make him hot and bothered for Yankumi. I figure he can use all the help that he can get."

"Are you crazy? What did you give him? What if he can't wait until tomorrow and goes after Yankumi or worse someone else? Uchi was upset.

"It's okay. That stuff takes some time to work. It should kick in tomorrow evening. He should be getting really hot and bothered for Yankumi by the end of the reception tomorrow evening." Noda smiled.

"How do you know that stuff won't kick in early? What if it does? Do you even know what you are doing?" Uchi pulled up Noda.

"Relax man. It's okay. The only way it will kick in early is if he gets a good amount of alcohol in his system, like four more drinks. Since he's gone back to his room, he'll call it an evening and go to bed. It's fine." Noda waved Uchi away.

"It better be." Uchi released him as they heard a phone ring. They looked around at their phones but none of them were ringing. They finally saw the phone on the table.

Noda picked it up and looked at the caller ID. He touched his finger to his lips to shush the guys. He answered the phone in a falsetto high-pitched voice. "Hello, this is Shin's phone, but Shin can't come to the phone right now because he is handcuffed to me."

"WHO THE HELL IS THIS?" They heard Yankumi yell through the phone. "GIVE SHIN THE PHONE RIGHT NOW!"

"This is Peach, I'm sorry but Shin is a little tied up. I mean too attached to me to come to the phone. Good bye." Noda hung up the phone laughing.

**

* * *

**

Back to the Women's Side

Yankumi hung up her phone and had a devil look on her face with an eerily calm demeanor. "Excuse me ladies, thank you for your help. I'm afraid I have to leave now. I have some business to take care of. I'm SO GONNA KILL Sawada." Yankumi dropped her phone and left in a hurry.

* * *

(**A/N**): Okay, I'm sorry it took a while to get this chapter out, but I had some business to attend to, and I also wanted to make sure to adequately summarize the videos without including too much information. I hope you enjoy it. Usually I end the chapter with narration and a summary, but this time I decided it was better to end it right there. I think it works better that way. Since the narrator didn't leave any hints for what was to happen next let me. Oh yeah, some translations. Ano means uh. Anesans are older sisters of the kumi. Obasans are the aunties.

_Preview_: "Shinoji, you stay right there. I gotta bone to pick with ya!"

"Ah, my lovely Kumiko chan, you can pick more than a bone with me. How about you pick all of me?"


	14. Ch 14: The Chase

**Disclaimer**:See the disclaimer for Chapter 13

**RECAP**: After the rehearsal dinner they held a toast for the bride and groom attended by foreign dignitaries, followed by the bachelor and bachelorette party attended by a smaller group where they were entertained with videos and dancing. The night ended early due to a prank that Noda played on Yankumi that resulted in her wanting to kill Shin. We now tune in to the scavenger hunt where the bridal party and groomsmen search for the missing bride and groom.

* * *

**Ch 14: The Chase**

"Okay, well she is probably on her way to find Shin. So, I'll call her and try to calm her down. In the mean time, one of you call someone from the bachelor party to warn Shin that Yankumi's on her way, and she is pissed." Imani took out her phone and dialed. She turned around when she heard a phone ring. "Please don't tell me that she left it." They all headed toward the couch where Yankumi had previously been sitting, and sure enough her phone was still there ringing. Imani hung up and took the phone from Mariko who had picked it up. "Well, at least we can find out who she last called and what upset her?"

Imani checked the phone log and redialed the last call.

Noda heard Shin's phone ring and looked at the caller ID. He laughed as he held up the phone. "It's Yankumi again. She's probably calling back to make sure that she didn't make a mistake and call someone else's phone. Shhh, watch this." He answered the phone in the falsetto tone again. "Hello, this is Shin's phone. He still can't come to the phone since he is tied up and handcuffed to me." Noda chuckled.

Imani was taken aback at first, but then recognized that it was a male pretending to be a female. "Noda san, is that you?"

"Eh, this isn't Yankumi." Noda was surprised and forgot to disguise his voice.

"Of course not, this is Imani." She explained.

"Ohhhhh, oh, Imani heh? Well, let me tell you I saw your videos, and I'm a big fan. Do you think you can give me an autograph, or a foot massage?" Noda asked.

"Oh, when I see you, I'll give you something alright. You big pervert. Now, I've got something to ask you, and I want an honest answer. Is that how you answered the phone when Miko called while ago?" Imani asked.

"Yeah, pretty much why?" Noda asked.

"You idiot. Do you know how much trouble you have caused? Because of you, she left here talking about murdering Shin after she got off the phone with you. I think she is on her way there to find him. Is Shin with you now?" Imani asked.

"No, he's not. He already left. I think he went back to his room. But I can't believe Yankumi fell for that." Noda chuckled. "Boy, Shin will be in some trouble if she ever catches up to him."

"This is no laughing matter. You know on a good day, Miko is gullible, but if you add to that alcohol and the fact that she is nervous and stressed about her wedding, of course she'll fall for your idiotic, moronic pranks." Imani chastised him.

"That's true." Noda rubbed his head.

"Anyway, if Shin comes back, hide him somewhere. If Yankumi gets there first, keep her there. I'm on my way. So wait for me." Imani ordered.

"Wait, how am I supposed to keep Yankumi here? I mean she is strong." Noda asked.

"You are the one who got yourself into this mess genius. You figure it out somehow." Imani hung up and rushed off.

* * *

Meanwhile, after Shin had left the party, he was walking around in deep thought and happened to walk to a bar. He sat down in deep thought at the bar and waited as the bartender set down a napkin and took his drink order. The bartender noticed his solemn face and asked. "I take it you aren't with the otaku parade? You definitely have a different aura than they do. You don't have the geeky perverted type of aura." Shin nodded unamused, still looking somber. "Maybe you should stop in at the anime convention, and it'll cheer you up. So, what are you here for anyway?"

"A wedding." Shin answered.

"What's up? Is it your first love getting married to another man, or what?" The bartender continued conversing as he served Shin's drink.

"No, I'm the groom." Shin pointed to himself.

"Dude, you don't seem too happy. Is it an arranged marriage or." He looked around and then whispered. "Is it a shotgun wedding?"

Shin scowled. "No, I'm marrying the only woman I have ever truly loved in my life. I'm just worried about being able to make her happy and take care of her."

"Ah," the bartender nodded. "I know of a guy that can get you something you can use to make sure that you please her, but don't tell anyone." He whispered to Shin.

"What? No, that's not what I mean. I have no issues in that department." Shin scowled furiously.

"Well, look, why don't you join my other solemn friend here, and you two can commiserate together." Shin looked down the bar and saw Tsuchi. Tsuchi looked up and nodded at Shin. They raised their glasses in a toast and then Tsuchi moved to sit next to Shin.

"Hey, what's up? The bachelor has already left his bachelor party? Did the party go south after the videos?" Tsuchi asked Shin.

"Nah, I just have some things on my mind. What about you?" Shin sighed and drank.

"Yeah, I have some things on my mind, too." Tsuchi replied. "I'll share with you if you share with me. I know you are my sempai, but maybe just having someone to talk to can help." Tsuchi suggested.

Shin looked at Tsuchi for a while and then shrugged. "Can't hurt."

"So, what's troubling you?" Tsuchi asked.

"Well, those two videos made me really think about things. I wonder if I really can protect Yankumi from everything that we'll have to face, especially with her family." Shin exhaled after confessing his fear.

Tsuchi smiled. "Is that all? I wish that was all I had to worry about."

Shin looked at him. "Don't you worry about that with Imani? I mean, you know what she has had to go through and all."

"Naugh. I'll show you why." Tsuchi took off his jacket and untucked his shirt. He then pulled up both his shirt and undershirt and turned so that his back faced Shin. "You see that scar. I got that from protecting Imani. At the time, she had a security team, not to mention two sets of yakuza clans protecting her, and still she needed protection with all those people watching her back, and I was the one who managed to protect her." Tsuchi smiled smugly. "At that time, I didn't even know that she had those skills like on the video. All I thought about was protecting her. So you see, even with all those people there to protect her, there was still something that I could do to help her even though I'm no where near as skilled as any of them."

Shin chuckled and motioned to the bartender for another drink. "That's true, but that's not what I am worried about. Physically, I know that I can protect her, and I have in the past, many times. You were there once remember. So, I have no worries in that department. It's the problems that my father's career may cause her family. Political figures are under more scrutiny than anyone else, and people look deep into their background to dig up anything they can to publish whether or not it is true. I'm afraid that people will be constantly be looking into her family's business and publishing all kinds of lies and innuendo about them. Considering what her family does and the need for discretion, I'm afraid of all of the trouble that will result. She may be in danger of losing her job again or worse, her family may constantly be hounded by reporters and police trying to catch them handling their business. I'm afraid I won't be able to protect and help her and her family. And I'm sorry to her and her family for all the trouble this will cause to them considering how they took me into their family, and I was closer to them than I've ever been to my own parents."

Tsuchi smiled. "That's easy too. You saw what happened on the video right." Tsuchi pointed to his back again.

"Yeah." Shin said. "So?"

"I wasn't there to protect her because I didn't know about it, and there was nothing I could do about it." Tsuchi replied.

"Okay? And…" Shin asked confused.

"You see this scar?" Tsuchi asked.

"Yeah, you got it protecting Imani. We've already covered this." Shin responded impatiently.

"True, but that's not what I am talking about. What I mean is that you can't protect her or anybody from everything like how I wasn't there for her when she battled her stalker at the love motel. However, I got this scar by doing all that I could when I was there to protect her. So even with the best protection, there is still more threats that you cannot see coming so you can't protect against those, and Yankumi can always use additional protection like Imani needed it. I do worry about that, but my scar is a constant reminder that no matter what threat she faces, I'll do whatever I can without a second thought to be that extra protection if I'm around. Even if it doesn't work, I'll try to do something. So, I don't worry about whether or not I can protect Imani from everything because I know I can't, but I will not hesitate to do something to protect her without thinking about it first." Tsuchi explained.

Shin nodded, chuckled, and pat Tsuchi on the back. "Thank you. Believe it or not, that did help. Here, let me buy you a new drink." Shin downed his drink and called for the bartender to get them both a refresher drink. "Okay, your turn spill."

"Well, it has to do with those two videos too, or specifically the first one." Tsuchi sighed.

"I'm listening." Shin waited. Tsuchi began his story.

* * *

**~~** Flash Back To Earlier **~~**

"Tsuchi, can I ask you a question? I'm not really interested in your past or anything, and I'm not trying to pry. I just want to confirm something." Imani asked looking at Tsuchi's face as he nodded. "Well, how many girlfriends have you had in the past, excluding me?"

Tsuchi frowned trying to recall, and began counting on his fingers. After a few seconds he gave up. "I'm not sure, why?"

Imani fretted. "Are there that many that you can't recall?"

Tsuchi shook his head. "No, I'm just not sure who to count. I mean does that include all of the girls I have dated but there was no confession or official acknowledgement that we were boyfriend and girlfriend or what?"

Imani waved it away. "Never mind, how many is not really important. What I really want to know is … is how many of them you were intimate with, excluding me." Imani looked down shyly.

"Intimate?" Tsuchi looked confused.

"I mean ecchi." Imani said embarrassed.

Tsuchi's face went red, and he ran his hands through this hair nervously. "Well, not counting you it was …" He paused. "All of them."

"All of them?" Imani asked incredulous.

"Yeah, I mean what's the point of being girlfriend and boyfriend or dating if you aren't going to do that? Eventually, I would lose interest in a girl if we didn't … you know, by the second or third date." Tsuchi explained.

Imani's face looked crestfallen. "Then do, you think that if two people are close and have been good friends in the past and maybe have dated that they should get intimate? If not, the girl is considered a tease or just playing with the guy. Do you think that guy will be able to find someone else if she doesn't do ecchi with him? Could he already have someone else to get intimate with?" _Oh god, the aunties may be right. _Imani fretted_._

Tsuchi looked at Imani panicked. _Is she talking about Odagiri? Didn't she say she owed him two dates? Does she think this is how she should repay him?_ "Of course that guy will find another girl. She doesn't have to worry about getting intimate with him. He'll find someone who he can do that with. So don't worry. He probably already has someone in mind." Tsuchi smiled brightly.

"He already has someone else in mind?" Imani asked weakly as Tsuchi nodded, smiling brightly.

**~~** End of Flashback **~~**

* * *

"So, do you think she is thinking of getting together with my friend to repay him for risking his life for us? Isn't that why she asked those questions?" Tsuchi asked Shin anxiously.

Shin laughed. "You have nothing to worry about unless you don't want to do it."

"Huh, what do you mean?" Tsuchi asked.

"The person who she is considering getting intimate with is you." Shin was direct.

"Me?" Tsuchi asked, pointing to himself.

"Yeah." Shin nodded.

"But right before she asked me that, she mentioned owing him two dates. So I figured she was talking about him." Tsuchi explained.

Shin shook his head and finished his drink. "Nope, that was the end of the first conversation. She switched topics and was referring to you. Probably, those older women at the bachelorette party put those ideas into her head. I wonder what they put into my Kumiko's head. Still, if it is about getting intimate, maybe I wouldn't mind too much." Shin looked at Tsuchi who was still confused and fretting. "What you don't want to?"

Tsuchi shook his head quickly. "NO! It's not that. It's that I know she wants to wait until she gets married. I thought we had an unspoken agreement that we would wait until we got married."

Shin gave him a side-long glance. "So, you two are planning to get married? You have discussed it already?"

Tsuchi shook his head. "No, but I have no intention of letting that woman get away from me. I may not be a scholar smart enough to get into Toudai like some people we know, but I ain't stupid either. I'd be a fool to not want to marry her or let her go."

"So, you want to marry her? Do you think you are ready for that?" Shin asked.

"Man, I almost asked her to marry me when I confessed to her the first time. It was all I could do to avoid it, but at that time I hadn't graduated from high school, and I didn't have a job or prospects. I do now. Maybe, I should go ahead and propose." Tsuchi considered.

"Well, whatever you do, don't it this weekend. She'll resent it and think that you are not serious. She'll think you are doing it because the mood is good since you're at a wedding." Tsuchi nodded. "However, you should talk to her about that other thing. You know, getting intimate."

"Yeah, I better go find her." Tsuchi thought. "I'll tell her that I respect her and can wait until we get married."

Shin pat him on the back. "Good man." He turned to the bartender. "Bartender, a couple of shots for the road for me and my friend, ah, my future brother-in-law." Tsuchi looked at Shin and grinned. The bartender served them, and they downed them in one shot. All of a sudden, Shin felt a little dizzy and then hot. He fanned himself. "Is it me or is it getting hot in here? Speaking of getting intimate, I better go say good night to my bride-to-be."

"Hey, isn't it bad luck to see her before the wedding? She's going to freak if you do." Tsuchi asked.

"It's okay. I know how to handle my woman. I'll just give her a little taste of Shin, and she'll melt just like butter." Shin smiled and asked the bartender for the tab.

Tsuchi finished his drink, got up to leave, and turned back to look at Shin. "Weird, I've never heard him talk like that before. Maybe he had one too many."

* * *

Indeed, he had had one too many. For the aphrodisiac that Noda had slipped him was beginning to react with Shin's partially inebriated state. He had to be partially intoxicated because if anyone had told him that he would be walking around a big luxurious hotel calling out Kumiko's name in a sultry drawl, he would deny it would ever happen. He was not the only inebriated one walking around the hotel calling for someone. For Yankumi was also looking for her other half, only her tone had a murderous intent to it. Thus, the chase to find these two people before they found each other was soon to begin for a frantic maiden of honor and hot-headed best man. Let's join the chase in progression, shall we?

**The Bachelor Party**

"SHINOJI! Where are yooooooou? I've got something for you." Yankumi cracked her knuckles as she found the bachelor party. "Hey, where is that two-timing sunuva …"

"Ojou? What'sa matter?" Kyou came over to her first. "What do you mean? Who's two-timing who?"

"Don't hide him Kyou. I know you think of him as the son you never had, but I'm gonna kill him anyway. Where is he, and that little tramp Peach who he is handcuffed to?" Yankumi asked. "By the way, when I am finished with him, I am coming for you because I know I told you no girls at this party." Yankumi yanked Kyou by the collar.

Kyou frowned. "Ojou, what are you talking about? Shin is not here, and he is certainly not handcuffed to some girl. I honored your request and didn't have any girls here. Right guys?" He asked the rest of the guys who nodded.

"Really, then how did Minoru get all of these lipstick marks all over his head?" Yankumi put Minoru in a headlock under her arm.

Kyou grinned sheepishly. "That? That was the dance instructor. She came by to help us practice our steps one more time and Minoru just gave her a good tip. She thanked him by kissing him." Kyou and Tetsu moved to help Minoru escape Yankumi's grasp.

"I don't believe you two. You're all in it together." Yankumi looked around and saw the other door. "Hey, why is that door over there closed? Is there something you are hiding in there? They must be in there." Within two seconds she was at the door to the game room and had kicked it open to find her 3D students playing pool.

"Geez, Yankumi, you don't know your own strength. You didn't have to kick the door off the hinges." Minami said.

"Yankumi!!!" Eight 3D students shouted.

"Eh, Yankumi, Imani is looking for you. She says she needs to talk to you. She wants you to stay here and wait for her. She should be here shortly." Noda said.

"I don't have time to wait for her. Where is that pervert Shin and that heifer, Peach, at?" Yankumi asked.

"Ah, Yankumi, Shin left like a good little boy to get a good night's sleep before the wedding, and there is no girl named Peach here." Kuma said.

"Don't lie to me. I know you are covering for him. He must have took that Peach girl back to his room for a little midnight rendezvous? What is his room number? I'll storm on their little parade." Yankumi growled.

"Yankumi, believe me. We are not covering for Shin. There is no girl named Peach. Noda can explain that." They all looked at Noda and pushed him forward.

"Ah, uh, Yankumi, you see, that girl who answered the phone named Peach. That was me." Noda explained and then ducked waiting for Yankumi to hit him.

Yankumi snorted. "Please, do you think that I can't tell the difference between a man's voice and a woman's voice?"

"It was me, Yankumi. You see. Shin left his phone here, and I saw that you were calling so I pretended to be a girl and answered the phone. Like this." Noda changed his voice to the falsetto tone he used and picked up Shin's phone. "Hello, this is Shin's phone. He can't come to the phone because he is tied up to me." He looked at Yankumi and handed her the phone.

Yankumi stared at him, and they all looked at her waiting. "What kind of fool do you take me for?" Yankumi asked. "You expect me to believe that story? What I think happened is that Shin left his phone here after he left with that girl and went to his room with her, and then he asked Noda to pretend to sound like that girl so that you could cover for him, and I'd believe him." They all bent at the knees and groaned.

"Look, Yankumi, just wait for Imani, and she'll clear everything up. Wait let's call her." Uchi suggested. He looked for the card he had gotten earlier from her, while the other Kurogin 3D guys looked for Imani's number. Odagiri had her on speed dial, and dialed Imani right away.

"Hello Imani?" Odagiri asked.

"Hey, Ryo what's up? I'm kind of busy at the moment." Imani responded.

"I know. You are looking for Yankumi. Well, she is here at the bachelor party. How long will it take you to get here?" Odagiri asked.

"You found Miko? Oh thank God. Let me speak to her." Imani asked.

Odagiri turned around to look for Yankumi and hand her the phone. "Eh? Where did she go?" The other guys had been watching as Odagiri talked to Imani and didn't notice Yankumi sneak out. They went into the other room and didn't see her. Odagiri got back on the phone. "I'm sorry Imani. It looks like we lost her."

Imani groaned frustrated. "Listen I'm almost there. Is there more than one way to get in and out of the room?"

"Uh, yeah." Odagiri replied

"You guys go out both ways and see if you can find her. She couldn't be too far." Imani ordered. "I'll be there as quick as I can. Thanks, bye." Imani ran toward the bachelor party and looked around at the same time. When she got there a minute later, they were all back shaking their heads. "No one saw her leave?"

Both 3D's shook their heads. Imani looked at Kyou. He pat her head. "Sorry, Little Raven, we didn't see anything." Imani sighed when her phone rang. "Hello."

"It's Fujiyama sensei. Shin is here looking for Yamaguchi sensei." She explained.

"Oh, thank god. Shin's at the bachelorette party." Imani expressed to the guys. "Okay, keep him there until I can get there. If Yankumi arrives, keep the two of them separated. Tell her, he went to his room."

"Uhm, there's something else, Imani. He's acting really weird." Fujiyama sensei replied.

"What do you mean he's acting weird?" Imani asked.

"Well, he keeps saying stuff like 'I can't wait for Kumiko to really see me as a man. She won't be disappointed. And he's smiling. He has a really nice smile though." Fujiyama explained.

Imani sighed, confused and then thought. "Hey, did any of you give Shin something that will cause him to act weird?"

"What do you mean weird?" Uchi asked.

"I mean to be lascivious and say perverted things." Imani explained. She looked at Uchi, who looked at Noda, who smiled sheepishly. Imani scowled and rolled her eyes frustrated. "You are so on my list."

"What list?" Noda asked.

"On my HIT List." Imani replied. "Forget it, let's go. I'll take care of you later. You four are with me." Imani pointed to the remaining ones of Shirokin 3D. "The rest of you stay here in case either of them come back."

* * *

Mean time, Tsuchi left the bar and headed toward the bachelorette party. On his way, he saw Yankumi passing by angry headed from the direction of the bachelor party.

"When I get my hands on that stupid, two-timing, no good, evil, scum-sucking pig and that tramp, I'll tear them from limb to limb. I'll rip out his heart and rip out her tongue and feed it to the …" Yankumi was talking out loud.

"Yankumi? Uhm, is everything okay? Shouldn't you still be at your bachelorette party?" Tsuchi asked her.

"Have you seen that no good, low down, dirty dog?" Yankumi had pulled Tsuchi to her by the collar.

"Uhm, who are you referring to?" Tsuchi choked out trying to free himself from Yankumi's hold.

"You know who, SHIN!" Yankumi's voice had a very icy tone to it.

"Oh, we were just at the bar together, but he was getting ready to leave when I left. He said he was going to say goodnight to you and go to his bed." Tsuchi's voice was barely above of a whisper. Yankumi released him. He twisted his neck around and rubbed it.

"Was that cow named Peach with him?" Yankumi asked.

"Cow named Peach?" Tsuchi repeated.

"You know that two-bit hussy that Shin was handcuffed to." Yankumi explained.

Tsuchi frowned. "But Shin was by himself when I left him at the bar. It was just the two of us until I left."

"I see. So, he must have left her at his room so I wouldn't find her and is going to say goodnight to me to lull me into a false sense of security. Now that I figured out his little scheme, I'll put a little wrench into his a ... plan." Yankumi corrected herself, not wanting to corrupt her former student.

Tsuchi arched his eyebrows and stared at Yankumi, curiously. "By the way, Yankumi, have you seen Imani?"

Yankumi shook her head."No, sorry. I don't have the time right now. I have to get to the bar quickly before he goes back to her. I'll render him incapable of doing anything with that floozy." She left quickly

Tsuchi decided it was best to call her himself, and he took out his phone and called. "Hey, gorgeous where are you right now?"

"Hey Hikaru. I'm kind of busy right now. I'm on my way to pick up Shin from the bachelorette party, and then I have to look for Miko." Imani explained.

"Oh, I just passed her in the hall. She was on her way to the bar where Shin was. She said that she was going to render him incapable or something like that." Tsuchi frowned in confusion.

"Which bar on which floor? Can you go after her and hold her there?" Imani asked.

"Are you kidding me? She's as strong as an ox. How am I supposed to hold her there?" Tsuchi asked.

"Hikaru, please think of something." Imani asked. Then she thought about it. "Tell her I'll make sure that Shin comes to her if she stays there." Imani hung up after getting the information and relayed what was happening. "That was Tsuchi, he said that he just saw Yankumi, and she's headed toward a bar looking for Shin. I'll go there and keep Yankumi there. You guys go pick up Shin from the bachelorette party and bring him to the bar. Call me if anything happens." Imani turned around and ran off in the opposite direction. When she reached the bar, she found Tsuchi was there alone. "Where's Yankumi?"

"By the time I got here she was gone. The bartender said she came in cursing with a murderous glare, asked about Shin and took off immediately when she found he wasn't here. He says that he thinks that she was headed toward the lobby to find out what his room number is." Tsuchi explained.

Imani groaned. "Great, what else can happen?" Almost before she could finish her question, Imani's phone rang. "Hello. Oh, Uchiyama san, did you get Shin?"

"I'm sorry, but he was already gone when we got here. Fujiyama sensei says that he said that he couldn't wait any longer for his blushing bride and when he sees her he'll make her blush even more." Uchi blushed as he relayed Shin's message to Imani.

"Okay, you guys go look for Shin, and I'll try to find Yankumi." Imani directed.

"Didn't you find Yankumi at the bar already?" Uchi asked.

"No, she had escaped already by the time we got there. She should be headed for the lobby to get Shin's room number. I'll head there and go find her." Imani explained.

"Wait, Shin is also headed to the lobby to get Yankumi's room number." Uchi said.

"If those two find each other it'll be fireworks. You see if you and the guys can beat Shin there and stop him. Hopefully, Yankumi has been there and gone by the time he gets there." Imani replied, hung up and left with Tsuchi following her. He stopped her, grabbing her arm.

"Wait, Imani, I'm glad that we are alone. I want to talk to you for a moment about something I said earlier if you don't mind please." Tsuchi looked anxious.

Imani exhaled. "Tsuchi, you know that I would love to talk to you and spend time with you any time and any place, but right now is really not the time or place. Can't it wait until after the wedding tomorrow because if I don't hurry and find those two there may be a funeral instead of a wedding tomorrow?" Imani asked.

Tsuchi sighed and nodded. "I understand. I'll wait until we at least find Yankumi. So let's get going." He grabbed her hand and led the way.

* * *

Meanwhile, Yankumi had reached the front desk in the lobby. "Excuse me. Can I please know what room Sawada Shin is in?" Yankumi asked the young man at the desk politely.

"May I know who is asking?" The young man replied.

"I am Yamaguchi sensei." Yankumi replied with a smile.

"I see." The man replied and took out a list. "I'm sorry but I am not at liberty to divulge that information to you."

Yankumi's fake smile faded. "What? What do you mean? What are you talking about? Why can't you tell me his room number?"

"I'm sorry, but under Kekkon sama's orders, Yamaguchi sensei is not to be made aware of Sawada Shin's room number." He showed her the piece of paper and then returned to his work. He looked up a moment later to find her still standing there, and then he shooed her off. "If you'll excuse me Yamaguchi sensei, but we have other guests to attend to. So please run along."

Yankumi's eye twitched and her face contorted. She grabbed the desk clerk up by the collar and half-pulled him across the counter. "Now, see here. I want Sawada Shin's room number, and I want it right now, or else I'll be removing your nads instead of his. Ya got me?" She looked down toward his pants area. He gulped and nodded. Yankumi let him go, and he hurriedly looked up the number.

"Yes, Sawada Shin in room 1412. Thank you and come again." He told her quickly. She left quickly, headed toward the elevator. Just as the elevator door closed with Yankumi inside and the desk clerk was exhaling a sigh of relief, Shin strode up to the desk.

"Could you please find Yamaguchi Kumiko's room?" Shin asked.

The desk clerk looked at a note, and then asked. "May I know who is asking?"

"Sawada Shin." Shin replied. "Her groom."

"Oh then, I'm sorry. I can't give you that information under Kekkon sama's orders." He replied and looked down.

Shin slammed his hand on the counter. "Excuse me, would you like to reconsider?" Shin glared at the man.

The man thought back to his encounter a few minutes earlier. "Yes, of course sir. Her room number is 706."

Shin smiled. "Thank you so much. You've been really helpful. Ciao."

The man exhaled again as soon as he saw that Shin had gotten into the next elevator. No sooner had that happened than Imani and Tsuchi ran up and asked. "Did a Sawada Shin or Yamaguchi Kumiko stop by this evening?"

"You just missed them." He replied and went back to his work.

"Which one?" Imani asked frantic.

"Both of them." He replied.

"Did they see each other?" Imani asked.

"No, she came first and as soon as she left, he came." The clerk replied. "Followed by you two who are keeping me from doing my work."

"Do you know where they were headed?" Imani asked.

"She was going to his room, and he was going to her room." The man told her.

Imani slammed her first on the counter. "Do you mean to tell me that you told them each other's room number after we strictly told your people not to do that?"

The clerk disregarded her after looking over her size and rolled his eyes. "Look, they threatened me, and I don't like people threatening me. So, I did what I had to do to save my skin."

Imani inhaled and exhaled slowly. "Okay, fine. Just tell me Shin's room number, and I'll be on my way."

"Who may I say is asking?" He asked.

"Oh, now you're going to ask. Give me a freakin' break." Imani scoffed.

"Fine, if you don't want to tell me who you are, then I have no reason to tell you his room number. Now get going missy." The desk clerk dismissed Imani.

"Oh, that's it!" Imani was ticked. "Tsuchi, I need a boost." Imani turned away from the counter, ran a few steps to gain momentum, stepped onto Tsuchi's outstretched hands and then back flipped over the counter. She landed behind the man and had his neck in a headlock. "I'm asking."

"Okay, he is in room 1412. Is there anything else I can do for you?" He choked out in high-pitched tone.

Imani released him. "No, thank you. That's all." Imani said cheerfully. She took out her phone and dialed, heading toward the elevator. "Uchiyama san, where are you now?"

"We are in the elevator on our way down to the lobby. Where are you?" Uchi asked Imani.

"I just left the lobby. Shin is on his way to Yankumi's room, 706. So don't get off the elevator. Head straight to the seventh floor. Yankumi is on her way to Shin's room on the 14th floor. Tsuchi and I will head up there and try to meet her. If you find him, please keep him there. I'll keep Yankumi here if I find her. Call me, whatever. All hell will break loose if those two meet and no one else is around." Imani hung up.

* * *

Meanwhile, Yankumi had already reached Shin's room. "Shiiiiin, open the door. I know you are in there." Yankumi knocked on the door loudly. "Shiiiiiin! Don't pretend that you don't hear me. I know you are in there with that whore. Open the door and let me in, or I will break the door down. Shiiiiiin!!" She kept banging on the door. "Okay, Mr. Smarty pants, you think you are so smart. I'll just call you." She searched for her phone all over and couldn't find it. "I must have left it at the party." Yankumi knocked on the door again and yelled. "Shinoji!!! I'll be back as soon as I get my phone. You better get rid of that Peach chick if you know what's good for both of you." Yankumi stumped off and got into the elevator.

As the elevator door was closing on Yankumi's elevator, the elevator next to it was opening with Tsuchi and Imani about to alight from it. They got out of the elevator and passed by Yankumi's elevator just as the door closed. Imani paused and looked back at the elevator. She then shook her head and continued to Shin's door. They ran straight to it and knocked.

* * *

At the same time, Shin had reached Yankumi's door and knocked. "Kuuuumikoooo, your knight in shining armor is here." He chuckled. "Or should I say your sumo in fundoshi is here." He knocked again. "Oh, Kuuuumikooooo. Eh, Yankumi." He still didn't hear anything. "Yamaguchi? Don't tell me that you are sleeping already?" He knocked and then decided to call her. He searched for his phone. "Crap, I must have left it at the party." He knocked again. "Oh Kumikooo, I'll be back so please wait up for me." He left and got into the elevator.

As before, as his elevator closed, another one open with the remaining Shirokin 3D. They knocked on the door and didn't hear an answer.

Kuma listened closely at the door. "I don't hear anything. They must not be in there."

"You don't suppose that they are …?" Minami began. He smiled and made a motion. "You know."

"Don't you think that they would be louder than that if that's the case?" Noda asked. Then they all shivered. "I don't even want to think about that."

Uchi called Imani as they headed for the elevator. "I think we missed him already. What about you?"

"Well, Shin's room is still intact. The door is still on the hinges so I don't think she found him. I have a feeling I passed by her as I got out of the elevator." Imani recalled.

"Well, what do we do now? Where do you think they have gone? Do you think they have returned to their rooms? Should we just wait here?" Uchi asked.

Imani thought for a moment. "No, I don't think so. I'm not sure where they are, but I don't think they have returned to their rooms. I guess we should spread out and cover each floor."

"That's more than 40 floors and 50 rooms per floor. How are we going to cover all of that in a short time?" Uchi asked.

"I guess we are going to need help." Imani thought for a second. "I know just where to get it too. You go get some people from the bachelor party and I'll go get some from the bachelorette party. If we get one person per floor, we should be able to cover everywhere and hopefully find them before they find each other. Okay?"

"Got it, see you later." Uchi replied and hung up.

* * *

While they all headed to their respective parties to get help, Yankumi had reached the floor where the bachelorette party was being held at the same time that Shin had reached the floor where the bachelor party was being held, which was two floors apart. As Yankumi was heading east on the fifth floor and Shin was heading west on the third floor, they were crossing each other's paths two floors apart. Uchi and the others had taken the elevator closest to the bachelor party and had arrived at that time. He came out in time to see Shin pass by.

"Shin!" Uchi called out.

At that Shin and Yankumi stopped dead in their tracks. As Shin turned to look at where the voice came from, Yankumi also looked around to see where the voice had come from. From her vantage point, she could see Uchi and the other Shirokin 3D members heading in the same direction as she was. She began watching and walking at the same pace as them.

"Shin man, where have you been? We've been looking all over for you?" Uchi asked greeting Shin as they approached him.

It was at that time that Shin came into Yankumi's vantage point, and she saw him. Her eyes narrowed, her brow furrowed, and she saw red.

"Shinoji! You stay right there. I gotta bone to pick with ya!" Yankumi yelled out.

Shin looked all around and finally saw Yankumi. "Ah, my lovely Kumiko chan, you can pick more than a bone with me. You've already picked me so you can have all of me?" He gave her a dashing smile.

"I'll wipe that smile off your face. You just wait right there for me. I'll be there in a minute." Yankumi looked around for the nearest elevator or stairs.

"I've waited five years for you, and I'll wait for you forever if I have to." Shin called as he watched Yankumi run towards the elevator.

She pushed the button and when it didn't open immediately, she headed toward the stairs. As Shin watched her he tried to follow her and began moving to track her movements. Yankumi looked down again to find Shin moving, and she stopped dead in her tracks, turned around and hoisted herself onto the railing. She was poising herself to jump down the two floors when the elevator doors opened and Imani alighted from the elevator.

Imani yelled and ran quickly to Yankumi. "Stop right there!" Yankumi turned around to see Imani. "Miko, what the HELL do you think you are doing?"

Yankumi got down, turned to face her, and smiled. "I was just trying to make sure that Shin doesn't get away. I wanted to have a little chat with him, and I saw him leaving. So I thought I would just take the shortcut."

"Get your butt down from there right now. Are you crazy? You could have missed and landed on your head." Imani yelled at her.

"I would have caught her if she jumped." Shin called up to them. "I'll always be there to support and protect her."

Imani looked over the railing. "Shin! You be quiet and stay right there. We are coming right down." Imani glared at Yankumi as they went down the two floors in the elevator. "Were you trying to kill yourself and make this wedding into a funeral?"

"What, it's not like I haven't jumped across balconies from higher levels than that. It's not like you haven't done it before either. Who was it that jumped down from three stories to escape her bodyguards?" Yankumi reminded her.

"That was different." Imani replied still angry.

"How?" Yankumi asked.

"I wasn't inebriated at the time." Imani retorted.

"I'm not inaberated. I'm not abbreviated. I'm not ineligibrated." Yankumi shook her head. "Whatever, I'm not drunk." Yankumi yelled.

Imani put her hand up and scoffed. "So says the tongue-tied drunk who can't even enunciate her words." They left the elevator to meet Shin. "Okay, Miko, we are here. Shin is here. Let's talk this out."

Yankumi nodded and then lunged toward Shin's throat. "You no good, low-down, dirty cheat. How dare you be with another woman the night before our wedding!"

Imani grabbed Yankumi and held her back while Uchi and Kuma got in between Yankumi and Shin and blocked Yankumi from reaching Shin.

Shin just smiled. "Why are you guys getting in the way? If my lovely bride wants me that bad, I'll definitely oblige her." He winked at her.

Imani sighed as she put her arm around Yankumi's neck and held both her hands with the other hand. "Look Miko, calm down. Let's go somewhere and talk about this. You have this all wrong. You have the wrong idea about things. I'll let you go if you promise not to try to kill your fiancé, okay?" Yankumi nodded. Imani exhaled as did the others. "Why don't we go down to the room where the bachelorette party was held? It has two suites interconnected by a large living room. If necessary, we can separate them and lock them into separate rooms." They all nodded and went into the elevator.

Imani had asked that most of the women go to bed to rest for the wedding the next day. She then had everyone explain to Yankumi what happened who still remained skeptical. At one point, she had the bartender and the frazzled front desk clerk come in to prove to Yankumi that Shin had been at both locations since she didn't believe Tsuchi's testimony.

"They could be in it together. After all, Tsuchi may also be cheating on you with another woman since you also insist on remaining pure until marriage." Yankumi protested.

Imani blushed, and finally when Kyou came with a video tape of what had transpired at the bachelor party, including the part where Noda answered Shin's phone, she finally believed everyone. She sheepishly apologized to everyone, especially to Shin.

Shin just smiled and waved it off. "No problem. I'm glad to see that my fiancée loves me so much that she gets jealous enough to jump across the balcony two floors to talk to me about it."

"Okay, well, let's all go to bed and get a good night's sleep, we have so much to do tomorrow. I trust you guys can get to your rooms?" Imani asked. They nodded and began walking toward the door. Imani waited behind and held Uchi back as everyone else had already returned to their rooms. "Do you think Shin is okay now? I'm worried that if we let him go, he may try to go to her room."

"He seems back to normal. Are you sure Yankumi isn't going to dress incognito and try to kill Shin?" Uchi asked.

They looked at each other and hurriedly followed the two. Sure enough as they were coming out in the hall, their suspicions were confirmed.

"Of course, if you really want to make it up to me." Shin began to unbutton his shirt and pulled his tie out with his teeth. "We can always go back to your room, and you can show me how apologetic you really are."

"Why my room? Why don't we go back to your room, or is there a reason that we cannot go back to your room, like you have a girl in there?" Yankumi's voice went icy at the end. Uchi and Imani looked at each other and cringed.

"I got her, you get him." Imani instructed as they grabbed the two and put them back in the rooms and locked them in. Imani called Fujiyama sensei and asked her to send up one of the gifts from the party. She handcuffed and gagged Yankumi with the gift brought by Fujiyama sensei and then handed a set of handcuffs and a gag to Uchi for Shin. Uchi did the same to Shin and came back in the main room with Imani.

"Where did you get those items by the way?" Uchi asked.

"They were gifts from the bachelorette party." Imani replied.

"Ano, just what went on at that bachelorette party?" Uchi asked. Imani just smiled and shook her head. "Was it video taped by any chance?" He asked.

"Probably." Imani smiled and sat down on the couch. "So, what should we do now? I'm not tired even though I know I should get to bed and get some rest."

Uchi nodded. "Mm, but do you really think it is safe to leave those two here by themselves? What if they wake up and escape?"

Imani sighed. "I guess you're right. I guess as the maiden of honor and best man, it is our duty to watch them and make sure they don't do anything they will regret tomorrow. So back to the question earlier, what should we do? I'm not tired, yet."

"Well, shall we talk?" Uchi asked.

Imani arched an eyebrow at Uchi. "What, the hot-headed Uchiyama Haruhiko wants to talk? From what I heard from Shin and Miko, this is not like you at all."

Uchi just smiled. "Well, I have a couple of questions that I would like answered, and I figure that I will never get you alone like this again to answer them."

Imani nodded. "It's about the videos isn't it?" Uchi smiled and shrugged. "Or is it about something else?"

"Well, there is that. How you were able to escape your stalker and return in time for the wedding." Uchi asked cautiously. Imani cocked her head to the side, scowling with a confused look on her face. "I was at the bar with Shin when your father called."

"Ah," she nodded. "That explains it. Alright, even exchange, then. I'll answer your questions if you answer mine." Uchi raised his eyebrows intrigued. "Do you think a woman who dates a guy and has slept in the same bed and taken baths together, and shared other intimate times but they haven't gone all the way because she wants to wait until marriage, is a tease and a flirt, and do you think the guy in that relationship will look elsewhere to fulfill his needs?"

Uchi was taken aback and blinked rapidly. "Well, that's a very specific question. I guess it's a deal." They shook hands, and Imani went on to explain and answer Uchi's numerous questions about her background, the stalkers, and her project. In exchange, Uchi answered Imani's questions about what the obasans had discussed about men always cheating.

* * *

So, the night and chase ends with the best man and maiden of honor sharing stories and later a couch since their exhaustion from the chase overcame them an hour into their long discussion. Thus the chase ended in the bride and groom both in an intoxicated state and handcuffed and gagged in the same suite but different rooms being guarded by the maiden of honor and best man, who were sound asleep one hour into their watch. Although they would sleep earlier than they thought, they would still not get enough sleep to prepare them for the chase and activities that would happen on the wedding day. In fact, if they had known that the series of events that had happened during the week would pale in comparison to the wedding day, they would have went to sleep much earlier and prepared themselves much better. However, not knowing what was in store for them the next day, they could sleep soundly and rest comfortably being lulled into a false sense of security that the chase was the most strenuous and hectic event that they would have prior to the wedding and for that weekend. Ah, but of course there are still more events to come or would you rather read about a beautiful uneventful wedding? Of course you wouldn't. That would be no fun. So keep reading and enjoy.

* * *

(**A/N**) Woo, that chase was tiring. It was also tiring to write. Okay, so the narrator got much more face time since I kind of cut out that part in some of the previous chapters. (Narrator pouts) I can't recall if I have written the translations before or not so here goes. "Ano" is uh, or uhm, "aneesans" are older sisters or sisterhood, "obasans" are aunties. These women are mentioned in the manga, and they advise Yankumi about how to deal with Shinohara's childhood friend. Tsuchi's scar refers to Gokusen 2, chapter 25, The Club. Although we have finally reached the wedding day, all the events that take place will span about three chapters at least, just like this day took up four chapters or so.


	15. Ch 15: Prewedding Jitters

**Disclaimer**: Same as Chapter 14 and Ishikawa Satomi sensei and Yoshiro are not my characters. They belong to **BlackJack7** and come from her story **Growing Up Yakuza**.

**RECAP**: After a night spent chasing an inebriated bride and an herb-induced lewd groom and trying to keep one from killing the other, and one from doing H with the other, everyone finally settled into restful night thanks to a pair of handcuffs and gags.

**Chapter 15 Pre wedding Jitters**

At long last, we arrive at the wedding day. The wedding day, a day of peace, bliss, love, and happiness where everyone remembers a lovely ceremony, not all of the problems and minor inconveniences that occur. That is, if you are the bride and groom, then that is the way you will remember it. However, if you are a member of the wedding party, for example the maiden of honor and the best man, you might tend to remember more than just the lovely ceremony. You may remember what it took to make the wedding day seem like a lovely ceremony for the bride and groom and the seemingly insurmountable problems appear to be minor inconveniences. However, if the day is somehow recorded, say serialized in a manga magazine, you will definitely remember it for life as more than just a lovely ceremony with a few minor inconveniences. Ah yes, but I get ahead of myself as usual. Let's see how the wedding day starts for the two people who have a large role to play in the day's events.

**7:45 a.m.**

The phone rings as a female reaches out to answer it in a drowsy voice and whispers. "Good morning."

"Good morning, this is the front desk, and this is your wake-up call. It is 7:45 a.m. Thank you for staying at our hotel, and we hope you have a very good day."

"Hm, thank you." The drowsy female responds. She then turns over and nudges the male lying next to her. "Good morning, that was our wake up call."

He turns over and props up his head on a bare arm and smiles. "Hmm, good morning. Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you for asking Uchiyama san, but I could have used some more sleep. Did you sleep well?" She replies.

"You're welcome, and it's Uchi. Yes, I did sleep well Harrison sensei." Uchi replies.

"It's Imani." Imani smiled, and then thought. _UCHI???!!!!_

At the same time Uchi was thinking, _IMANI!!!???_

They looked at each other and jumped a part as Imani pulled the covers about herself. Then they both thought about the details of what happened the previous night. Imani searched her mind and recalled the toast, the bachelorette party, talking to Tsuchi, the search to find Yankumi and Shin, she and Uchi talking as they guarded the bride and groom, and finally them falling asleep on the sofa that converted into a bed after talking. She relaxed as she remembered. Then she noticed his bare arm, and she slowly lifted up the covers and looked underneath. She breathed a sigh of relief as she noticed she was fully clothed, and then she cautiously looked at Uchi underneath the covers and saw that he was wearing a muscle undershirt and shorts. For the second time, she breathed a sigh of relief. Uchi also grinned as he recalled the previous night and chuckled at Imani's relief.

"Why don't we order breakfast for the four of us and then return to our rooms to get ready. We have a lot to do today." Imani searched for the menu and handed it to Uchi. "Here, order whatever you like. It's my treat as a way to thank you for last night."

Uchi shook his head. "It was my pleasure and also my duty as the best man. So you don't have to treat me."

Imani shook her head. "I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about the other thing."

Uchi thought. "Oh, that, no problem. That was my pleasure also. It gave me a chance to get to know you better. Any time you have a problem or need to talk, feel free to come to me. I mean it. I'm your best man even after today is over." Imani nodded and smiled as Uchi looked over the menu to order.

Across the hotel and approximately 20 stories higher, someone woke up in a state from a bad dream. "Imani no, don't do it. Don't marry, Ryo. I'm sorry. I can wait until after we are married to get intimate. I didn't mean to pressure you. I love you. I won't stray or look at any other girl. I promise." Tsuchi bolted upright, panting, and sweating in a panic. He disabled the alarm that had caused him to wake up from his nightmare, and he calmed down. He looked around for the phone, and called Imani's room. When there was no answer, he got up to look for his hand phone to call her. When she still didn't answer, he thought about calling Ryo just to check but decided not to. It would mean that he didn't trust her, and he didn't want her to get that idea again. He got dressed and decided to see if he could find her.

Meanwhile, Imani failed to hear her phone ring because at that moment she was eating breakfast and also calming down an angry bride.

"Do you think those two are up yet? Should we wake them up so that they can have breakfast?" Uchi asked.

"No, I don't think so. Miko will freak if Shin sees her before the wedding. You know how superstitious she is. She'll think it is bad luck." Imani replied. "Besides, they must still be asleep. If they were awake, surely we would know."

As if on cue, they heard a loud banging noise in the room in which Yankumi was sleeping. Meanwhile, Yankumi had woken from a dream that Shin had married Peach instead of her at their wedding, and she was struggling with the girl at the altar. Due to the struggling, Yankumi had managed to break the bed post she was handcuffed to and free one of her arms. In the process, she had woken up and fell off the bed.

Outside, Imani smiled. "Ah, that would be our lovely bride. I better check on her before she does any further damage. I don't want to have to pay for a door that is pulled off the hinges as well as the bed post." Imani hurried to the door and unlocked it to let out a furious Yankumi.

Yankumi began yelling, and then pulled off the gag that she didn't realize was still covering her mouth to be heard. "Where is he? How dare he marry that girl he met last night? Of all the nerve to use my wedding to marry a girl he met at a bachelor party. What about all the time, the effort, and the money we spent planning the perfect wedding? And he let her use my dress. And he had the nerve to have me handcuffed and gagged so that I couldn't escape or get help to attend my own wedding. (sniff). I guess he doesn't (sniff) really love me after all. Oh, Imani." Yankumi reached out to hug Imani and cry on her shoulders.

Imani rubbed Yankumi's hair. "There, there, it's not as bad as you think. You were having an alcohol-induced nightmare. It's only 8:00 in the morning. You don't get married until 4:00 p.m. today. You haven't missed your wedding. And I was the one who handcuffed and gagged you because you were trying to kill Shin since Noda played a stupid prank on you and made you think Shin was cheating on you with some imaginary girl named Peach that doesn't even exist. It took a lot to convince you that you were being silly. Anyway, sit down and have some breakfast and calm down before you wake up Shin. You don't want him to see you before the wedding do you?"

Yankumi looked up panicked. "No, that's bad luck, and we have already had enough of that this week." Yankumi followed her and then stopped. "So, there's really no girl, and I haven't missed the wedding?" Yankumi asked as Imani shook her head in answer. "Wait, what do you mean wake up Shin? What do you mean Shin may see me? Isn't he in his own room? Wait, isn't this my room?" Yankumi looked around and was surprised to see Uchi sitting at the wet bar counter in a t-shirt and shorts eating breakfast.

He raised a glass of orange juice and smiled at Yankumi. "Good morning, Yankumi. Congratulations."

Yankumi nodded at him and then pulled Imani close to her. "What is he doing _here_, dressed like _that_? And just what the hell is going on? Does Tsuchi know about this?" Yankumi was yelling at first, and then she whispered the last question.

Imani looked at Uchi who chuckled, and she laughed also. "Look, Miko, this is all innocent. I'll explain everything to you if you sit down and have some breakfast. Besides, making all that noise will wake Shin, and also it will aggravate your hangover."

"Hangover, what hangover? I wasn't drunk last night. I clearly remember everything that happened. Including searching for Shin and some girl." Yankumi said calmly. Imani scowled. "Some imaginary girl." Yankumi corrected herself.

Imani looked at her skeptically. "Okay, so you don't have a hangover, and you weren't drunk last night, and you clearly remember trying to jump off the balcony two floors to kill Shin."

"Eh?" Yankumi asked.

Imani nodded. "Miko, take a deep breath in." Yankumi complied. "Now, let it out." Yankumi did, and that's when the headache hit her, and she grabbed her head. "Uh huh, no hangover huh? Here, have some tea and toast. That's probably all you can manage. We can't have the bride vomiting on her wedding day. After you eat, take these two aspirin." Imani served her tea and toast and then gave her two aspirin with some water. "I'll explain to you everything that happened, and then you have to go and get ready." Imani thought for a second. "Funny, I'm surprised Kekkon sama has not already called for you and stormed the hotel looking for you. She must be busy with all the other preparations." Imani mused and then recounted the wild bride and groom chase they had last night as Yankumi laughed at some of the details and threatened unspeakable horrors for Noda when she would see him the next time. Imani reminded her that the next time they saw him would be at the wedding, and that Yankumi might be a little too preoccupied to kill him. Yankumi reluctantly agreed.

Meanwhile, Tsuchi discovered why Kekkon sama had not searched for the bridal party. As he came out of his room, he saw her in the same outfit she wore the previous evening coming out of a room around the corner from his. He stared at the scene, momentarily distracted from his quest to find Imani and have breakfast and a talk with her. She looked both ways and then began to leave. Then he saw a freshly showered Kyou standing at the door, leaning against the door post with a towel wrapped around his waist, smiling. Kekkon sama turned and bowed to him. "Thank you Kyotaro sama for the hm-mm headache medicine you gave me last night. It helped me have a very restful night."

Kyou smiled. "No problem Kekkon sama. Call on me any time you need to get rid of a headache. I'll make it go away faster than any ibuprofen can." He winked at her and touched her cheek.

She giggled and blushed, and then she straightened up and stood erect. "Now, please have breakfast and get dressed for the wedding. Remember, I need everyone down in the small dining hall promptly at 2:00 p.m. Make sure the rest of the kumi are on time as well. Don't be late." She winked at him and slinked off. He stared after her, smiled, and closed the door.

Tsuchi then shook his head and continued toward the elevator making sure to keep a distance from Kekkon sama. Kekkon sama failed to notice Tsuchi because she was too busy on the phone giving orders and making preparations. When she arrived downstairs, she went to the hall where the wedding was being held. She smiled as she noted how much the hall resembled a fantastical fairytale outdoor garden and the dais where the bride and groom would be standing on resembled a pavilion decorated with flowers. Having seen that everything was as requested, she moved on to the Emperor's Ballroom to check on the venue for the reception, which was right down the hall. She opened the door, took one look, and then closed it quickly. She opened it again, more cautiously this time, peeked in, and closed it quickly. She turned facing away from the door, closed her eyes, clicked her heels three times while chanting "There's no place like home. There's no place like home. There's no place like home." (**A/N**: This comes from **The Wizard of Oz.)** She didn't think it would work, but felt that it couldn't make things any worse. She opened the door again and stared. It was still the same. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed the wedding liaison's number.

"This is Kekkon sama, and you have one minute to meet at the Emperor's Ballroom and not a second more. There is a monstrosity that needs to be corrected post haste." Kekkon sama hung up without waiting for the lady to respond.

The wedding liaison was having a cup of coffee with some of the other hotel staff when she received the call from Kekkon sama. She went pale after listening to her talk. She sighed and downed her coffee quickly.

"Who was that?" One of the supervisors asked.

"That was that witch known as the wedding coordinator. She says there is some major emergency going on at the Emperor's Ballroom where the reception will be held." The wedding liaison sighed and slumped.

"Really, what is the emergency?" Another of the staff asked. "Do you need any help?"

"No, it's probably something minor like the centerpieces are off-center by a centimeter. I swear that woman is so nit-picky that she makes a mountain out of a molehill." She rolled her eyes and hurriedly left. She arrived downstairs in front of the room where a fuming Kekkon sama met her. She smiled graciously. "Kekkon sama, whatever the issue is, we will fix it without delay. I assure you that no problem is too great or too trivial for me to personally handle."

Kekkon sama glared at the woman. "Trivial? Trivial? Please take one look in there and tell me that what you see is a trivial matter that is easy for you to fix."

The other lady smiled politely and opened the door to look around. She quickly closed it and went pale. She closed her eyes and looked back in there again. Then she shook her head. "There must be some mistake. I – I don't know what to say except that we will get it fixed as soon as possible."

Kekkon sama nodded and looked at her watch. "No, you will get this fixed NOW! You have exactly 3 ½ hours to get this room set up into the enchanted garden theme that we requested not the – the Space Odyssey 3000 theme or whatever it is you have going on in there. Furthermore, why is there a planet with Cheetah spots, one shaped like a rabbit's hutch, one that looks like a cat's eye, one with Chinese characters, one that looks like an iron mace, and one big, dark planet behind where the court officer would stand? Just what kind of perverted theme were you going for?"

"I think those are leopard spots not cheetah spots, and the Chinese characters are the words 'Peace' and 'Harmony'." The wedding liaison corrected her.

"I don't care. Is that even relevant right now? Just get it fixed." Kekkon sama was exasperated.

The wedding liaison thought of an idea then. "Wait, that was for an anime convention skit. I wonder." She called someone on her walkie talkie in the phone. "Hiroki, please go to the sixth floor Imperial ballroom and describe the decorations in the room."

"Yes, ma'am." They heard a young man respond. A few minutes later he responded and described the same setup that was in the current room.

She hung her head and shook it. "I just don't understand it. I was hoping that they accidentally got the rooms mixed up, and you could use the room upstairs instead for the reception, but that's not the case."

"Even if that was the case, you would still have to get those decorations from there and put them down here because I was told that we would be in the Emperor Ballroom, and I won't settle for anything less. Now, you have 3 hours and 25 minutes to fix this fiasco before the cake arrives, the musicians and D.J. arrive to set up, and they begin setting the tables for the reception. Tell me what are your plans for getting this fixed in under 3 ½ hours?" Kekkon sama asked impatiently.

The lady called the young man back. "Hiroki, how many people are available for a major task? We have a mistake that must be corrected right away."

He responded in a few seconds. "We have five."

She exhaled. "That won't be enough. We need at least 20." She responded to the young man.

"Well, we change shifts in two hours, and we will have a lot of temporary staff members on hand then due to the two large events we have scheduled for today. I can call them in early, but that will still take another hour more than likely." He replied.

She sighed again. "That won't do, but call and get them all in here early." She turned to Kekkon sama. "That is the best we can do right now unless you know where I can get 20 able-bodied men on short notice." She asked Kekkon sama.

Kekkon sama was livid. "Oh, so now in addition to planning the most important wedding of the year, I also have to do YOUR job?" She looked away and thought. "Well, they don't call me Kekkon sama for nothing. I will have you 20 able-bodied men shortly. So make sure that my room gets ready in 3 hours and 15 minutes. I will be back to check." Kekkon sama walked away and made a phone call.

Meanwhile, Tsuchi had waited for Kekkon sama to get in an elevator and descend before he followed in a separate elevator. Tsuchi stopped at Imani's room first and knocked just in case she had been sleeping. He didn't hear anything. He tried her father's room next, but she wasn't there either. He decided to head to the room where he had last seen her.

Downstairs, Imani had managed to feed Yankumi, and get her off to her room as Kekkon sama called asking where she was and informing her of the bride's morning itinerary and where she needed to be. They had also managed to wake Shin, feed him and get him off to where he needed to be without him seeing Yankumi. By the time Tsuchi arrived at the room where the bachelorette party was held, Imani was dressed and saying goodbye to a shirt and short-clad Uchi.

"Thanks again for all of your help and you know … that last night. Please can we keep that a secret between the two of us? It's my first time sharing something like that with anyone, especially since I just met you yesterday." Imani looked up at Uchi smiling.

"Don't worry. I'll keep that a secret and the secret about the kidnapping in Hong Kong. It's no problem. After all, I am the best man, and Yankumi told me to take care of you. I take my responsibilities very seriously. And thank you for sharing that first with me. I feel privileged." He smiled at her.

Imani reached up and kissed him on the cheek. Uchi smiled and then kissed her on the hand. Imani left hurriedly to return to her room and begin preparations for the wedding when she bumped into a tall form. She wasn't paying attention and didn't look up at the person. She just bowed and apologized. "Excuse me, it was my fault." She moved to get around the person, but the tall form blocked her path.

"How could you?" A familiar voice asked.

Imani looked up to see Tsuchi, with a distraught look on his face. She smiled. "Hikaru?"

"How could you betray me like that? How could you share that with him first and not with me?" Tsuchi asked with hurt in his voice.

Imani shook her head and thought over what he may have seen and heard. As she recalled, she gasped. "Hikaru, no. It's not what you are thinking. It isn't like that at all. I didn't betray you, and … and nothing happened with him. Please believe me."

"Nothing happened with him? Nothing happened? Then what was all that about keeping that secret between the two of you? Why couldn't you … with me? Why him first, and not me? I thought if anyone, it would be with Ryo first if it wasn't me, but not with some guy you just met yesterday." Tsuchi turned away hurt.

Imani embraced Tsuchi's back. "No Hikaru, it's not like that. It would be you first if anyone. I haven't betrayed you. I would never. I promised you."

Tsuchi shook his head, turned around, and took her hands off of him. "Well, you broke your promise. You promised that if ever that were to happen, you would tell me first. Instead you confide in the best man and did that with him instead of me."

Imani was slightly confused but still hurt. "No, Tsuchi, there was nothing between the two of us. I would never give my precious first time to anyone but you. I would never do that with anyone but you. And, I'm ready if you want to do that now." Imani looked away embarrassed and bit her lip.

"Huh, what are you talking about?" Tsuchi asked confused.

"Well, not right now. We have a wedding to attend, but maybe after the wedding you can come to my room, or I can go to your room, and we can … you know." Imani looked up at him nervously.

Tsuchi's confused frown turned into a grin. "You silly girl, I don't want to do that with you. That's not what I'm talking about."

Now Imani was confused. "But just now, you said I betrayed you, and did something with him first before you, and you must have seen the kiss and overhead our conversation. So, I thought that you thought that I did H with him."

Tsuchi shook his head. "Of course I didn't think that. I trust you. I was talking about getting kidnapped in Hong Kong with Ren. Why does he know, and I don't? Why could you tell him and not me? I meant that you are supposed to tell me first when you are in danger and not anyone else, and you wanting him to keep it a secret."

Imani sighed, relieved. "Oh, that. No, I didn't tell him about that. He was out with Shin when my dad called Shin and told him. That's how he knew. Shin told him."

"Well, what's with keeping it a secret, and why did your dad call Shin and not me? Am I the only one who didn't know?" Tsuchi was perturbed.

Imani shook her head. "No, Miko doesn't know either. And I asked my dad not to tell you and not to tell Miko. I asked him to tell Shin so that he could help keep it a secret from her. I didn't want you to panic and fly to Hong Kong, especially since you had a deadline for your next volume. It's not like you could have helped nor done anything anyway. Also, if you knew, you probably would have been too worried to hide it, and Miko would have figured it out too. Besides, that's not the secret that I wanted him to keep."

"Well, then what is the secret you are keeping with him?" Tsuchi asked.

Imani put her head down. "It's … it's about …" Imani paused. "I wanted to know if he thought that a girl who sleeps in the same bed with her boyfriend, has bathed with him, has been naked in front of him, etc. is a tease. And if he thought that boyfriend would cheat on her or fulfill his needs elsewhere because she won't do H with him even though they have done all the above. I wanted to know if he or most guys would be willing to wait for that girl or if he would find someone else." Imani exhaled.

Tsuchi slowly smiled and lifted Imani's face to look in her eyes. "If that girl is you, he would be willing to wait as long as it takes and do whatever it takes."

Imani shook her head. "But is it enough to just hug and kiss, don't you want to go further? Wait, you said earlier that you didn't want to do that with me. I don't understand. Why don't you? Is it because you already have someone to do that with? Is it me? You don't want me? Is it enough to continue like we are? Is it okay like this?"

Tsuchi ran his fingers through his hair frustrated and grabbed her arms. "Stop it! It's enough. Kissing those soft, full lips, it's enough. No! Having you softly embrace me in a warm hug, it's enough. No! Hearing you tell me you love me, it's enough. No! Having you look at me with those beautiful eyes full of love, it's enough. No! Having you as my girlfriend, it's enough. No! Having you in my life, it's enough. No! Having you say my name, it's enough. No! Having you acknowledge that you know me, it's enough. No! Knowing you, it's enough. No! Knowing that someone as nice, as sweet as you, someone who puts others before herself, someone who protects people at any cost even if it means her life, knowing that someone like you exists in this world, it's enough. So don't ever let anyone tell you that our relationship is not enough for me, okay?" He hugged her, and she returned his embrace. Then he pushed her back. "I won't you to promise me something else okay?" He searched her eyes.

"It depends on what it is, but I would promise you almost anything up to the world." Imani replied.

"Okay, then promise me that next time you have questions about our relationship, you'll ask me and won't talk to anyone else." Tsuchi asked.

"Okay." Imani nodded.

"And promise me that you won't believe anything that anyone says about what most guys or girls do because you and I are not a typical guy and girl." Tsuchi continued. Imani nodded again.

"And promise me that in the future, if you are thinking about deepening our relationship, you'll ask me and talk to me about it and not anyone else." Tsuchi continued.

"Yes." Imani felt relieved.

"Finally, promise me that we won't even think about or discuss having sex until after marriage and that you will discuss it with me and marry me in the future."

"Okay. I will." Imani agreed. They embraced until Imani thought about the last promise. She pushed Tsuchi back. "Hey, wait a minute. Did you just propose to me?"

Tsuchi looked at her and shook his head. "Of course not, don't be ridiculous. That would be inappropriate to propose to someone at another person's wedding." Imani sighed relieved. "But you did just promise to marry me."

Imani's mouth fell open and she searched for something to say. Tsuchi laughed. "By the way, don't you need to go get ready for the wedding? I'm sure Kekkon sama is chomping at the bit by now looking for you." Imani's mouth fell open again as she hit her head and cringed.

"Oh my god, thank you. I totally forgot." Imani ran off in a hurry. Then she ran back and planted a nice juicy kiss on Tsuchi's lips. About 15 seconds into the kiss, Uchi, now fully dressed, cleared his throat.

"I hate to interrupt you two when it was getting good, but I need tall boy here for a task. Kekkon sama called me frantically and asked me to round up all the gentlemen I could find for an emergency."

Imani gasped. "What is it? What happened? Do I need to come and help as well?"

"No, she told me that under no circumstances are you to be disturbed because you need to get your .." He paused searching for words. "To quote her, 'that wavy mane' of yours 'tamed', and you have to be fitted for your dress." Uchi shrugged apologetically and smiled at Imani.

Imani nodded. "Very well, please go on with your duties. I'll get back with you later." She winked at Tsuchi and kissed him on the cheek. "It would seem that you two have a very important role to play in the wedding today."

"Where's mine?" Uchi asked tapping his cheek. Imani laughed and kissed him on the cheek also. Uchi stayed smiling as a frowning Tsuchi drug him away complaining that he hadn't eaten breakfast and wanted Uchi to buy it for him.

Yes indeed, they would have a very important role to play, a more important role than anyone would imagine, but there I go again getting ahead of myself. There is still so much more that happens before we get to that part. So let's follow the groom's men and see how the reception room is coming, shall we?

Uchi and Tsuchi were the last to arrive since Uchi had to buy breakfast for a famished Tsuchi as promised. When they arrived, Kuma, Minami, Noda, Takeda, Odagiri, Yabuki, and Hyuga, along with five of the hotel staff were already in the process of taking down all of the current decorations. Kekkon sama and the wedding liaison were giving orders. Kekkon sama went over to Uchi to explain.

"As you can see, this room is by no means ready. I need you guys to rip down all of these decorations and help set up the room the way it is supposed to be, and it needs to be done in three hours. It would be ideal if you had 20 people, but with 14 you guys need to work harder and faster." Kekkon sama explained. "Alright, I'll leave it to you, the best man. Thank you. Don't forget as soon as you are done here, go have lunch and get fitted into your tuxes or whatever the rest of you are going to wear." She left quickly to check on Yankumi's progress.

Uchi went to talk to the other 3D guys. "Hey guys, you know we only have three hours to complete this, and she said that we are supposed to have 20 guys to complete this. So what do you suggest? Do you know of any guys in the vicinity willing to help?"

Kuma smiled and thought. "I know six guys that owe Yankumi a lot, and they are staying not too far away at a relative's house. They should have no problem helping tear things down. We just have to bribe them with food."

Uchi nodded. "Alright, why don't you offer them free dinner at your restaurant for a weekend then and get them here?"

Kuma nodded and called them. Within 15 minutes the six guys from the high school where Yankumi was currently teaching were there with garment bags.

Kumiya looked at Ogata and sighed. "I still don't understand why we had to come and help with the wedding. Isn't it enough that we are going to attend it?"

"Hey, you know we owe Yankumi a lot. It's one way we have of thanking her." Ogata responded.

"Yeah, plus Kuma promised us free food." Kuraki added, rubbing his hands together.

"Yeah, but can't we do anything else instead? I just wanted to come, say congratulations and eat and drink." Kumiya asked.

"What about your gift?" Ichimura asked.

"Huh?" Kumiya shook his head blankly.

"Did you bring her a gift or a card or something?" Honjo asked.

"Uh, no. Did you guys?" Kumiya asked.

"Yeah, we got her a card and a gift from all of us except you." Kazama replied.

Kumiya smiled sheepishly. "In that case, where do you guys need me? What do you want me to do? Please be sure to tell Yankumi that I helped. This is my gift to her." They all shook their heads and laughed and began to work.

(_**A/N**_: Yes, I know Kuma is already married and it is three years between Gokusen 2 and 3, but this is an AU, so I can include them in here if I want to. You know you wanted to see them anyway.)

**Bridal Party Preparations**

After Yankumi had gone upstairs to shower and change into a simple yukata, Kekkon sama summoned her downstairs to get her hair and makeup done and to get a massage with relaxing oils to calm her down before that. All the others were also in the midst of getting their hair done after their massages.

Yankumi was glad because she was anxious for the first time in her life, and she didn't know why. It was more than just the fact that she was joining a new clan, uh family, it was also the fact that she was going to take up a role that she had no training or experience in as a wife. This role called for her to use skills that she was sure had been surgically removed from her thus she could not possess them, that is feminine wiles. So as the masseuse began working out the kinks and knots in her body, she became tenser as she considered all of the things that she didn't know how to do. When she thought about having to dance and eat in front of all those people, her body became as tense as steel. So tense, that the huge Swedish female masseuse, Olga, switched out to let in a man that had the physique of a pro wrestler come in to relax her. He lit scented oil candles and began working her over.

Olga came out with her hands looking arthritic, stuck permanently in a claw position. Kekkon sama asked. "How is the bride?"

Olga snarled. "She's intense. Too tense for me to help her."

Kekkon sama sighed and called Imani, who had her head down in the middle of getting her hair flat-ironed. The hair dressers let her up to answer her phone. "Hello."

"Imani, you have to help. Yamaguchi sensei will not relax. After an hour of being massaged she is worse than when she came in." Kekkon sama told her.

"Right now, I have about five hairdressers trying to straighten my hair. I'm in no position to come down there, but I can talk to her over the phone on one condition."

"What is that?" Kekkon sama asked.

"Could you tell the hair dressers to twist my hair up and stop trying to straighten it? It'll never happen. They are two days too late to 'tame my wavy mane' to quote someone. The best they can do is French roll it, twist it into knots at the front and maybe flat iron and curl a few stray pieces around my head." Imani described to her.

Kekkon sama pictured it. "That sounds lovely. You've got a deal." Imani smiled at the hair dressers as she made sure that they heard that, and then she waited to speak to Yankumi. "Miko, who is the person you love most in the world and you want to spend every day with?"

Yankumi smiled, and the masseuse could feel her relaxing and began working on her harder. "That's easy, Sawada Shin."

"How are you going to prove to him that you love him every day?" Imani asked.

"I'll support him and be there for him every day in whatever way he needs, kind of like I do with my students but as a woman and not as a teacher. That is the main function of the wife to be like his second in command." Yankumi answered.

"Yes, but the difference is you two will do it together. You won't do it for him. So, you don't have to worry about anything, not the dancing because he will take the lead, not etiquette at the meal because you can watch what he does, and he'll lead you again, and not anything else because you can rely on him, right? And I will be there for you to help you as well." Imani asked.

"Right." Yankumi was now totally relaxed, and the masseuse was relieved and continued to massage her. "Mani, thank you." She whispered, hung up, and fell asleep.

Kekkon sama relaxed also and let her sleep for a few moments longer as she looked at her PDA. "Okay, Ai chan, go have them bring the dresses to the dressing room. We will give the ladies a small snack before they get their makeup done and get in the dresses. Please have the tailors on stand-by for Harrison sensei's dress since she didn't come for the final fitting."

"Yes ma'am." The girl nodded and left.

"Kokoro chan, please check on the guests and all of the servers for today. We can't afford any mistakes with all of the important people coming, and all of the dangerous ones as well." Kekkon sama instructed.

"Yes, ma'am," the girl nodded and left.

**In a store room at the hotel**

"Yes ma'am, right away ma'am." The bellboy hung up. "Hey, Ken, get the dresses for the wedding and take them up to the dressing room near the Emperor Ballroom."

Ken looked at the two rows of garment bags containing dresses and asked. "Uhm, how many weddings do we have today?"

"We only have one, and it's a big one." The clerk replied.

"Then why are there two sets of wedding dresses with two different names on them?" Ken asked.

"What, what are you talking about?" The clerk asked.

Ken took both tags off and showed them to the clerk. "See, this one says Y K wedding, and this one says K Y wedding. Are they for the same wedding and someone reversed the letters, or are there two different weddings?"

The clerk looked at the tags and then looked at some of the tags on the hanging bags on both racks. "Not unless they have two brides." The clerk showed him the tags. "No, they are different. See, this one goes to the Emperor's Ballroom, and this one goes to Imperial Ballroom two floors higher. I think those are just costumes, though. Anyway put the tags back and go deliver both sets of dresses to where they belong."

"Uh, okay." Ken looked at the two tags and tried to remember which went to which cart. He shrugged, placed them on each cart arbitrarily and left with both luggage carts. "They'll let us know right away if they got the wrong dresses." He then made a call after delivering the dresses. "Yeah, it's me. I've confirmed the location. It's on the sixth floor. Seating is at 4:00 p.m. Are we supposed to interrupt during the ceremony or during the reception?"

"Eksuh san said to come in during the wedding ceremony and then interrupt when they ask if anyone objects. If they skip that part, then we come in during a certain person's toast. The key is for them to say, 'I wouldn't miss the chance to give you this special present for the world.'" Are you sure about the location?" Hiroto replied.

"Yeah, her name is KY, Kumiko Yamaguchi, right?" Ken asked.

"Yeah." Hiroto confirmed.

"Then, I'll see you there." He hung up and smiled and thanked the lady as he received a tip after delivering both sets of dresses. "Now to change into the monkey suit, I just need to add a jacket."

Meanwhile, Shin and the groomsmen had just finished changing. Uchi and the others in the wedding had left after they finished tearing down the reception room because the temp workers had been called in early to work and replaced them.

Uchi came over to Shin. "Man, are you feeling okay?"

Shin looked at him surprised. "Yeah, why? You think I'm nervous or have cold feet or something?"

Uchi shook his head. "No, it's just after what happened last night, I wanted to be sure."

"What did happen last night, anyway? You said you were going to explain to me later why I woke up handcuffed to the bed post, gagged, and locked in the suite. Also, why were you in under wear around Imani?" Shin asked.

"Eh, in underwear with Imani?" Noda and Minami perked up.

"Hey, what happened after we all left anyway?" Minami asked.

"Why were you kissing Imani this morning outside of that room? Did you two spend the night together?" Noda asked.

Uchi turned toward Noda shocked. "You saw that?"

Noda nodded smirking. "And so did he." Noda pointed to Tsuchi. Tsuchi looked over at them having heard Imani's name.

Shin looked at Tsuchi questioningly, and Tsuchi nodded and smiled smugly. The other guys were puzzled by the interchange of glances between the two.

"Well, we have time before Yuri said we have to meet, so let's hear the story." Kyou grinned.

"Yuri?" They all looked at Kyou puzzled.

"I mean Kekkon sama. I just call her that because she is always dressed like a yuri." Kyou laughed. (**A/N**: _yuri means lily_)

Tsuchi arched an eyebrow and chuckled secretly recalling what he saw earlier.

"Whatever, can someone explain to me what happened last night?" Shin asked.

"Yeah, but first what is the last thing you remembered?" Uchi asked.

"I remember talking to my brother-in-law over there at the bar about our worries." Shin nodded toward Tsuchi.

"Brother?" Kuma began.

"In?" Noda continued.

"Law?" Minami asked.

Tsuchi flushed and Shin covered. "I mean my future uh, that is wanna be brother-in-law over there." Shin smirked.

"You don't remember anything after that?" Uchi asked.

"I just remember waking up in handcuffs and a gag in a strange room, and I vaguely remember a strange dream about Kumiko jumping into my arms and me being strangled." Shin twisted his stiff neck. They all looked at him, and then explained what happened. As they finished, Shin nodded.

Noda bowed. "I'm sorry. You aren't angry at me are you? I was just trying to help."

Shin turned and smiled at Noda. Then he landed a right-hook across his jaw and went after him. They all grabbed and held Shin back. Shin shook them off, and straightened his tie and jacket. "I'm cool. I just had to get that off my chest." He went over to where Noda had been knocked to the floor and held out a hand. Noda looked at him and cautiously took it.

"I suppose I deserve that." Noda responded.

"That and more." Shin replied and then smiled. "But I'll let Imani take care of the rest since she said you are on her list."

Noda gulped. "You don't think that she meant that or will go through with it do you?"

Shin, Tsuchi, Kuma, and Kyou all pat him on the back and shook their heads. Then Kyou responded. "Man, if the Little Raven says it, she'll do it."

Noda changed the subject. "Hey, what's up with you and Shin?" He asked Tsuchi. "Yesterday, Shin almost put you out of the wedding. Today you are acting like he is your aniki and not your sempai?"

Tsuchi shrugged. Shin put his arm around him. "It's no big deal. We just had a few rounds and bonded. That's all." Tsuchi nodded.

"What do we do now?" Noda asked. As if on cue, Kekkon sama called Uchi's phone and gave them further instructions on preparing for the wedding.

Speaking of preparations, all those in the wedding that were not part of the bridal party were also busy getting set up. Specifically, Yoshiro was warming up and preparing to sing for the wedding. He sighed as he sang the song he had prepared to sing for his Kumichou. "I wish I was able to sing this to her as she was walking down the aisle as my bride. As usual, I waited too long, and was too timid." He put his head down. Then he looked up to see some of the earliest guests arriving, among them a familiar face he hadn't seen in years. He went to have a closer look and he smiled and called out to the familiar person.

"Ishikawa sensei, is that you?" Yoshiro asked.

The lady dressed in a pale lavender satin skirt set, and with her hair pinned up turned around and scowled at the tan young man with long blonde-hair and a muscular body. Yoshiro went up to Ishikawa sensei.

"That is you, Ishikawa sensei. It's good to see you. It's been a long time. You look good, the same as when you taught us in school." He flashed a bright smile at the teacher.

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, young man, am I supposed to know you? Were you in my classes with Kumiko?"

He chuckled. "Was I in your class with Kumichou? I guess you don't recognize me. I was Kumichou's main partner in crime."

Ishikawa sensei gaped. "Yoshi kun, but how? You had such a girly face and a weak body. I was for sure that you would still be small, thin, frail, and pale or dead considering how much trouble she drug you into." She chuckled.

Yoshiro slightly smiled. "It's Yoshiro kun, not to be confused with the little green dragon in the video game. Anyway, I guess that was an apt description of me back then."

"My goodness, what brought on this change?" She asked, looking him over appreciatively.

"It's all a part of my new image. You see, I moved to America and then became a singer in a band. Also, I wanted to change for the woman that I loved." Yoshiro simply replied.

"What brings you here so early?" Ishikawa sensei asked. "You wouldn't be here to confess to the bride and have her run off with you before the ceremony?"

Yoshiro cringed as if he had been shot through the heart by an arrow. _How, how could she know_?

_Bulls eye_. She smiled knowingly.

Yoshiro then smiled painfully. "No, of course not. I tried that already, and it was too late." He said under his breath. "I'm part of the wedding. My gift to Kumiko is my voice. I will be singing to the bride as she comes down the aisle." He smiled.

"You mean for the bride, right? You will be accompanying her as she comes down the aisle to meet her prince?" Ishikawa sensei corrected. The pained expression on his face let her know that once again she had hit the target. _Poor Yoshiro, strong on the outside, but he is still the same frail boy on the inside._

"Whatever, it's the same difference. What are you doing here this early? Are you here to look for your student or her surrogate father?" Yoshiro asked with a glint in his eye.

Ishikawa's face faltered for a second before she managed to paste the smile back on her face.

Yoshiro smiled smugly. _Turnabout is fair play isn't it sensei?_

"Of course, I am here for Kumiko chan. I came to perform my last and most important role for her. If I just happen to run into her family members, I would gladly greet them as well." Inside she was cringing. _How did he know?_

Yoshiro smiled warmly at her. "Ah, you are talking about being a surrogate mother for her. It's good since she could use that right now. After all, you already have that kind of relationship with her surrogate father." He looked directly into her eyes. _Served._

Ishikawa felt as if she had been shot through the heart with an arrow. "Yes, well the part of surrogate brother, is already taken by you, isn't it?" Ishikawa sensei smiled. _Right back at you_.

"Hmph. With her surrogate sister, we all make one big happy family I guess." Yoshiro mentioned feeling as if he had been shot by an arrow also.

"Eh? A surrogate sister?" Ishikawa sensei asked. "What do you mean? Who is she? What is she like? Or is it Rini chan?"

"No, but she has one thing in common with Rini chan. You'll be very surprised when you meet her. They say that she is just like Kumichou only the opposite. Well, you'll see when you meet her. She is the maiden of honor." Yoshiro smiled secretively.

"Oh, where is Kumiko, by the way?" Ishikawa sensei asked.

He shrugged. "Beats me. Probably getting dressed. If you want to know, you need to ask Kekkon sama. She would know."

"And who is Kekkon sama?" Ishikawa sensei asked frowning.

"She is the wedding coordinator. There she is now, with the PDA. If you will excuse me sensei, it was a pleasure meeting you again." He bowed, kissed her hand, and winked at her.

She was surprised. "What a charmer he turned out to be." She made her way over to Kekkon sama. "Excuse me, are you Kekkon sama?"

Kekkon sama was indeed racing by to see how the Emperor's Ballroom was progressing. Much to her surprise and delight it was completely finished and looked perfect with the exception of the six young gentlemen playing with some of the decorations remaining from the previous setup. At the mention of her name, she had turned around and took stock of the lady in front of her. "I am. Can I help you with anything?"

"I'm Ishikawa sensei, Kumiko chan's former teacher. I was looking for her to talk to her." Ishikawa smiled.

"All guests can talk to the bride at the reception after the wedding. Please have a seat, or you can go to the bar and have a drink if you would like." Kekkon sama told her diplomatically.

"I understand, but I was asked here by her family to talk to her before the ceremony and calm down her nerves." Ishikawa sensei replied.

Kekkon sama sniffed, offended. "I wasn't made aware of this. I'll have to ask about it. Please wait here. At any rate, she is in the process of getting dressed and can't be disturbed."

"Well, I can help her get dressed and talk to her at the same time." Ishikawa sensei offered.

Kekkon sama smiled tightly. "We have professionals to do that. Your help is not needed Ishikawa sensei was it?"

"Actually, it's …"

"Satomi? Is that you?" A voice called out. Both ladies turned to determine who the voice belonged to.

"Oshima? Oshima Kyotaro, is that you?" Ishikawa sensei asked. He came, lifted her up off the floor, and swung her around.

"You haven't changed a bit. You are every bit as pretty as I remembered you. I'm glad you could make it. Our Ojou is a nervous wreck. She's worried she doesn't know what to do. Follow me. I'll take you to Ojou." He put his arm around her shoulder and led her away.

"MM MM." Kekkon sama cleared her throat. "Kyou san, was there something you wanted?"

"Oh, oh yeah. I was going to ask you to look out for this little lady and escort her up to see Ojou, but I found her so you don't hafta. You can get back to all of your other duties." He turned and continued walking with his arm around the teacher.

Ishikawa sensei looked back and smiled. "Nice meeting you, Kekkon sama. You have done a wonderful job with this wedding."

Kekkon sama stared after them incredulous. "Uh, that little, and him … what was that?" She was in such a state that she didn't notice when one of her assistants approached her.

"Excuse me Kekkon sama, I think we have a slight problem." Kofuku told her.

Kekkon sama glared at her, causing the young lady to take a step back. "Well, what is it?"

"That, ah, Harrison sensei says that she doesn't think the dress is quite right." Kofuku replied weakly.

"Her dress? Well, she probably doesn't remember it since she didn't get a chance to get fitted." Kekkon sama waved it away.

Kofuku vigorously shook her head. "Ah, no, that's not it. She says that all of the dresses are not right."

Kekkon sama stared at the girl. "I don't understand. What do you mean? What is she talking about?"

Kofuku took out her camera phone. "Well, she thought you wouldn't understand so she had one of the groomsmen provide these pictures." She showed Kekkon sama who's mouth fell open wide in horror and shock at the two pictures.

"Oh my god." Kekkon sama exclaimed. "Call the wedding liaison and tell her that for the second time today there is a monstrosity that she needs to fix, right now. And tell her this time, she has exactly ten minutes to get this fixed, or this wedding will be a disaster, and she and the hotel will take full responsibility."

(**A/N**): Well, that is as good as a place as any to end this although the narrator won't like it not getting to commentate the end. About the spelling of names, I have seen them spelled several different ways when I have researched them on line, so please don't get angry if I spelled them incorrectly. I will not correct them in the rest of the story if I spelled them incorrectly. So, please just bare with it. About the title of this chapter, I called it prewedding jitters because it represents Yankumi's nervousness and also it represents Imani's uneasiness with her relationship with Tsuchi right before she inadvertently promised to marry him. Oh yes, I must remember to give credit to BlackJack7 and her story Growing Up Yakuza for the characters Yoshiro, Rini, and Ishikawa sensei. Also, some of what happens refers to things that either happened in her story or some of what may happen in her story. Finally, I really enjoyed writing about what happened with Imani and Tsuchi and Noda and Shin. I wanted to make this chapter longer, but decided against it. Okay, since no narration, let's have a preview.

"Don't just sit there and laugh and take pictures. Someone, please go find Kekkon sama or her assistants and help me fix this." Imani pleaded.


	16. Ch 16: The Wedding

**Disclaimer**: I don't have the rights to anything. I just like to have fun with other's stuff.

**Recap:**Imani and Uchi woke up in the same bed, but realized it was innocent. Both Yankumi and Tsuchi had nightmares that their beloveds married someone else and woke up panicked. The decorations for reception were mixed up and Shirokin 3D, Kurogin 3D, and her current 3D students had to help fix it. Tsuchi and Imani had a misunderstanding about Uchi and she ended up promising to marry him. Ishikawa sensei, Yankumi's former teacher came for the wedding and had a chat with Yoshiro, Yankumi's childhood friend.

* * *

**Chapter 16 The Wedding**

After a light lunch consisting of sushi and sashimi, the bride's maids went to have their makeup applied and then to get dressed. Imani was taken into a separate area to have the tailors quickly work to alter her dress if needed. Imani took the hanging bag into the dressing room and took it out and looked it over. "Uhm, maybe I don't remember, but are you sure this is the dress that I'm supposed to wear?" Imani called out.

"I don't know anything about that ma'am. Would you please just try it on so we can alter it if need be? Please hurry." The seamstress replied.

"Oooookay." Imani replied and put on the dress. She turned around and looked at herself in the mirror. "Oh, I know this ain't right." Imani placed her hand on her head. She was wearing a sleeveless, strapless black leather leotard with a black lace tutu, black lace fishnet stockings, and black leather spiked-heeled boots with a silver tip and silver stiletto heels. She had a black satin ribbon choker with a sterling silver skull and crossbones hanging off of it and black leather gloves with no fingers. To top it off, she had a black leather half-trench coat that ended at her waist, but had two long tails in the back. Finally, there was a wooden staff that was sheathed in the back of her dress and underneath the trench coat, along with holsters and fake pistols inside the trench coat. Imani shook her head.

The seamstress called out. "Excuse me Harrison sensei, does it fit or do you need alterations?"

Imani shook her head as she figured out how to answer. "Well, it definitely fits since it's one size fits all, but I just still don't think this is the right outfit." She came out for the seamstress and her assistant to see. They both covered their open mouths.

"Oh, my. I don't think that is quite right either." The seamstress replied nervously.

Imani asked. "How are the others doing?" They shook their heads and shrugged. Imani went to the room and opened the door to find the other ladies fully clothed and most were wearing various capes. Imani hurriedly closed the door, closed her eyes, and then opened them again peeked in. "Uhm, so it's not just me who has the wrong dress?" She asked.

"The _wrong dress_?" Fujiyama scoffed, annoyed. "You gotta be kidding me. That's putting it mildly. Unless your outfit came with ears and a tail, you can't possibly think that it is just the _wrong dress_. Let's see what you are wearing then." Imani shook her head. "Please, can it be any worse than being dressed in a leopard suit?" Fujiyama turned around and opened her leopard spotted cape to reveal a leopard body suit, complete with a tail, a collar and a headband with leopard ears. She also had leopard stiletto pumps and leopard paws to cover her hands along with a whip. Imani covered her mouth and tried not to laugh.

"At least your body suit covers everything, Shizuka." Kawashima sensei complained and opened her pink satin cape to reveal a white playboy bunny sleeveless outfit, complete with a cotton tail in the back, and a head band with fluffy ears and a satin pink interior. She had white cuffs around her wrists that held shurikens and had on shear pink stockings and white stiletto pumps. Imani again covered her mouth.

"Well, that's still better than mine." Mariko replied. "At least your cat is predatory. What do you call this?" Mariko opened her black cape to reveal a leotard like black cat suit, complete with a long black tail and furry ears on a head band. She also had on black silk stockings and black stiletto pumps. Imani exhaled to avoid laughing out loud at Mariko.

"But at least your gloves have claws that extend to cut and scratch unlike my paws." Fujiyama raised her paws up. Mariko glared at her and extended her claws in response.

"Natsumi, where is your dress? How is it?" Imani asked.

"I'm wearing it." She stood up to reveal a red and gold cheongsam with splits thigh high and red stiletto pumps with gold plated heels.

"That's not so bad." Imani replied. "At least yours goes to the floor."

"I would at least like some stockings because every time I take a step, it reveals everything." She illustrated by taking a step, and the splits revealed her red string thong underwear as she walked. "Oh, and I forgot the best part, my bow and arrow in the back of the dress." She turned around to show the quiver for her arrows, and unbuttoned the top of her dress across the back to reveal her bow.

Imani covered her mouth yet again. "Where's the bride? Is her dress at least correct?" She asked. "Mikooo, how is your dress? Is it right?"

Yankumi came out in her dress. She smiled. "It isn't the one I had made, but it's perfect. She came out in a fitted shear strapless dress, with a white satin bodice underneath that only covered from her mid-section down to her mid thigh the rest was see-through. She had on white silk stockings that had white garters and gun holsters attached. She also had a sheath for a knife in one of the garter belts. Her veil was semi-circular with tulle flowing out of it. Yankumi took it off excited. "Look, if I hold it like this, I can use it like a boomerang." She took it off, tossed it at a statue and sawed off the head and caught it in her hand. "Oh, and I have a sheath in the back to place my sword. Isn't this the coolest?" Yankumi unsheathed a shiny sword.

"That may not be the right dress, but Shin would eat you up in that." Mariko offered.

Imani placed her head in her hands. "Oh, lord. Don't encourage her. I'll find Kekkon sama or someone right away and get this straightened out. When you noticed that these outfits weren't right, why didn't you protest or get someone then?"

"Because they took our clothes. We had no choice but to wear these outfits. By the way, what are you wearing?" Kawashima sensei asked.

Imani rolled her eyes, sighed, and came into the room fully, held out her arms and did a 360 spin for them. "I am the Iron Maiden of honor. Apparently, I'm attending the goth wedding."

"More like Yankumi's Twisted Sister." Fujiyama replied. At that, they all giggled as they saw her.

Imani scoffed. "What? I held in my laughter when I saw you guys."

"Yes, but you look like gothic Lolita in that outfit." Kawashima told her.

"Keep smiling just like that." Imani hurriedly took out her phone and took a picture of all of them. She stuck out her tongue and left as they looked appalled. She called Kekkon sama who did not answer her phone and then she called her assistants whose lines were all busy. She asked the seamstress if she knew where Kekkon sama was or if she was supposed to meet the wedding coordinator later. The lady shook her head trying not to laugh as she saw the other ladies outfits. Imani opened the door to the main corridor and looked left and right. She didn't see anyone. So she hurriedly, went to where the guys were getting dressed. She called Tsuchi, who answered his phone.

"Hikaru, I'm outside. Could you come outside for a minute? I need a really big favor." Imani whispered.

"Imani? Sure, I'll be right, there." The other guys listened and nodded toward him as Tsuchi hurried outside. "Imani what is it? We are supposed to go get …" He stopped as he took in her outfit. His first instinct was to laugh, but then he noticed her athletic legs in the lace stockings and how the stilettos framed her thighs and behind nicely. "Although I can't say that I remember everything that you told me about your dress, I'm sure that this is not how you described it." He smiled and then took out his camera and took a picture.

"Tsuchiiii, now's not the time for that. Is Kekkon sama or one of her assistants in there with you?" Imani pouted with her hands on her hips.

"Wait, just like that." He took another picture. "Now, could you unbutton the trench so I can see what's underneath?" He focused his camera phone.

"Hikaru, really. We don't have much time. We have to find our correct dresses and change into them, then touch up our makeup and …" Imani stopped seeing that her boyfriend wasn't listening and rolled her eyes. "Oh, alright, one more." She unbuttoned the trench coat to reveal the strapless leather outfit, pulled back the trench coat, smiled, and posed in a sexy manner.

Imani heard whistles, cat calls, and picture phones snapping at the last pose. She looked around Tsuchi in horror to see that the rest of the grooms' men had come out and were taking pictures. She then heard voices coming around the corner. Tsuchi covered her and drug her into the men's dressing room out of sight of some excited otaku. "Thank you." Imani kissed Tsuchi on the cheek. "Now, is Kekkon sama or any of her assistants in here?" Imani asked.

"Wait, let us check." Noda replied as they all stared at her.

"No, they are not." Tsuchi replied and stood in front of Imani. "Why what's happened?"

"Seriously, you have to ask? Isn't it obvious?" Imani asked. "Take a good look again." She held out her arms and did a 360 for him. "This is what's happened. Our dresses have gotten mixed up with … with some costumes or something. I'm not the worst one though. The others have animal costumes."

"Animal costumes?" They all responded. "Like what?"

"Fujiyama is in a leopard outfit, Kawashima is in a bunny outfit, and Mariko is in a cat suit." Imani listed. "And we all have weapons to accessorize. We need to find Kekkon sama or someone to do something."

"Weapons?" Shin asked.

"Yes, I have a staff and two guns." She took out the staff from her back and extended it and then unholstered the two pistols in her trench coat.

"I see." Noda replied as he took a picture.

"What about Kumiko? How is she? How is her dress? Is she panicked or in a frenzied state?" Shin asked.

"No, she loves her dress because it has a place to sheath a sword, and it also has pistol holders in the garters and a sheath for a knife." Imani explained.

They all chuckled as they pictured it. Shin put his head down, shaking it and sighed. "Well?" Imani asked, exasperated.

"Well, what?" Minami asked.

"Are you guys gonna do something? Don't just sit there and laugh and take pictures. Someone, please go find Kekkon sama or her assistants and help me fix this. I can't go out there looking for her like this. Every otaku at the anime convention will have me as their wallpaper in the span of minutes." Imani pleaded.

Tsuchi was chuckling but got serious when he thought about that. "Right, I'll go find someone and show her this picture of you and have them do something. You go back to the rest of the bridal party and wait."

Imani took out her phone. "Wait, let me send you the picture of everyone so that she knows it's not just me." She sent the picture she had taken of the rest of the bridal party to Tsuchi. He looked at it and burst out laughing. Imani looked at him angrily, and he stopped laughing.

"Right, leaving now." Tsuchi saluted her and hurriedly left the room.

Imani turned around. "Uhm, could someone escort me back to the ladies, please? I need someone to cover me in case I run into anyone." Noda and Minami volunteered, but Uchi held out his arm and stopped them.

"I'll do it. I am the best man after all, and it is my job to take care of the maiden of honor." Uchi held out his arm for Imani to take. Imani looped her arm into his. At that point her father came in and took one look at her. He shook his head.

Imani shook her head. "Daddy, I … this …"

Her father held up his hand. "No, I already know. For what it's worth, you are the cutest of all the bride's maids in your gothic Lolita outfit." He took out his camera phone and snapped a few shots.

"Daddy?" Imani whined.

"Sorry, it couldn't be helped. You can stay here best man and take care of the groom. I'll take care of the maiden of honor." He looked down at her, took off his jacket, put it around her, and took her arm. "You know the others could have taken off the ears and covered their tails with the capes to go look for Kekkon sama instead of you. I don't think their animal tails would have shown at all under the cape." Kenazawa sensei remarked.

The rest of the grooms' men's ears perked up. "Ears?" Noda repeated.

"Tails?" Minami repeated.

"When fan boy comes back, we are so getting that picture off his phone." Noda determined. Shin just rolled his eyes and shook his head.

**

* * *

**

Two Floors Up

The skit producer was pacing the floor looking at his watch outside of the ladies' dressing room. "I know women take a long time to get dressed but what is taking them so long? We need to have time to rehearse before we perform, especially the fight sequence."

The wardrobe manager nodded. "I'll call the wardrobe assistant and ask what is the problem." He dialed her phone and waited. "The producer is out here waiting. You are holding everyone up. What is the problem?" He listened and then frowned. "Are they sure? How do they know?" He listened again. "I see." He hung up and turned to the producer. "It seems that the costumes are not quite right."

"Well, can they fix them? Do they not fit? What is the issue?" The producer asked.

"Apparently, those are not costumes. They are actual wedding dresses for a real wedding." The wardrobe manager replied.

"Are they sure?" The producer asked.

"That's what I asked, and they said that the dresses have names on them, and they are made to fit someone exactly. Also, there are no places to house weapons or any weapons for that matter." The wardrobe manager replied.

"Can I see the dresses?" He asked. "Maybe we can work with them?"

The wardrobe manager called the assistant and within a minute, she came out with the bride's dress and a bride's maids dress. The bridal gown looked like a princess ball gown that was fitted at the top and had a hoop-shaped skirt at the bottom, and the bride's maid dress were shimmery lavender with a white bodice underneath and matching lavender pumps. "Oh." The producer simply said. "I guess we can't put a split in the bride's maid's dresses and maybe add some spots and a tail for Shohyo, attach a furry cotton tail for Bunny, and a tail for Nekonna, change out the scarf for Lichang, and maybe spray paint this black and replace the scarf with a chain for Lolligoth? And maybe find some weapons from the booths at the convention to use?" He asked.

The wardrobe assistant shook her head. "No, I most certainly will not. You may not care, but I and every woman cares that we will ruin these dresses if you do that. Considering the time and detail of these dresses, I say that there is a very angry, confused, and probably frantic bride whose wedding we are ruining. So we simply need to find out whose wedding is today and switch them out. Still I wonder how they got the two confused. Not unless there is warrior bride named Kuroi Yukio in that wedding also."

The producer and wardrobe manager agreed with the assistant and began to make calls. At the same time an angry, confused, and frantic person was making a similar call, but it wasn't the bride as the wardrobe assistant had guessed incorrectly, it was the wedding coordinator, and she was madly sprinting to the ladies' dressing room to check on everything.

The poor bellhop who was in the storage area had to take two irate calls for something that wasn't his fault, not to mention getting chewed out by his superior and the hotel wedding liaison in person.

"Will someone please explain to me what the hell happened, and what is going on? There is only one wedding today, and you couldn't deliver the dresses to the bridal party without getting them mixed up with costumes? What kind of sorry excuse for an operation are you running? Now tell me what happened and fix it post haste, or I will let the wedding coordinator go postal on you, and you do not want that woman to come up here." The hotel wedding liaison was yelling at the bellhop.

The bellhop bowed, apologized, and explained. "The new bellhop, Ken, mixed up the tags and took them to the wrong floors. Apparently he must have realized his mistake because he has yet to return."

The wedding liaison calmed down. "I see. So it couldn't be helped. Even though you are not responsible, I hold your department responsible." She turned to the bellhop supervisor. "Now, go pick up the dresses on the sixth floor and deliver them to the fourth floor and then take those dresses on the fourth floor to the sixth floor." She bowed and then stood up.

The bellhop was still in a bow. "Yes ma'am. Right away ma'am." He ran to the sixth floor and got the dresses and went to the 4th floor to exchange them.

Meanwhile, after chewing out the bellhop over the phone, Kekkon sama had rushed to the bridal party's room to see the dresses. She even beat Kyou and Ishikawa sensei on their way to see Yankumi. By the time Kekkon sama arrived, the bellhop had made it there with the real wedding dresses, and she was just in time to witness an argument.

"No, I like this one. I'm keeping it." Yankumi was shaking her head.

"But didn't you pick out the dress to match with Shin? Don't you want him to see you in that dress?" Kawashima sensei asked.

"He'll like this one too." Yankumi responded.

They put their heads down. "Look the guy is here with your real wedding dress, take that one off and give it to him. It is needed for a show. Won't you feel bad if you keep someone from doing their jobs?" Fujiyama sensei told her.

Yankumi shook her head and folded her arms, stubbornly. "Yamaguchi sensei, if you don't hurry and get changed, you'll delay everything. Don't you want to get married, today? Isn't Sawada Shin your precious prince? Shouldn't you be dressed in a wedding gown that dreams are made of? Remember, that is the name of your dress pattern, the dress of your dreams?" Kekkon sama reminded her.

"Well, this is the kind of dress that is in my dreams. It would be even better if it were a kimono." Yankumi practiced taking the sword out of its sheath in the back of her dress. At that moment Imani came out of the other dressing room in a robe with the costume in the garment bag.

"What's the problem?" Imani asked noting the tense atmosphere.

Kekkon sama sighed. "Yamaguchi sensei is refusing to give up the dress, and because of that we cannot finish her hair or put on her makeup or complete all the preparations to get this wedding started and over with on time."

Imani nodded. "I got it." She drug Yankumi into the room, and within three minutes, she had handed out the dress in the garment bag. Everyone was surprised. The assistants and hair dressers and makeup artists hurried in with Yankumi's dress to dress her.

They all came up to Imani and asked what she had done or said to Yankumi to make her give up the dress. Imani shrugged. "Simple, I showed her the picture that I took earlier and hinted that Shin had seen it. So if she didn't want more bad luck, she better change into a dress that he hadn't seen her in. That seemed to do the trick."

They stared at Imani and shook their heads laughing. Then all the bride's maids finished getting dressed and getting their makeup and hair touched up. As they were finishing Yankumi's hair and makeup, her future mother-in-law came in to see her. Ishikawa sensei had arrived by that time and noting that Yankumi was busy returned to the hallway where Kyou was waiting. He looked up with a questioning face.

Ishikawa sensei shook her head. "She's busy with her future mother-in-law."

"Good, that gives us a chance to chat." Kyou took her arm and went to a love seat to sit down.

"Chat? Oh dear, should I be worried?" Ishikawa replied feigning fear and then smiling. "Don't you usually need to contact your next of kin when a yakuza wants to chat with you?" Satomi teased Kyou.

He shook his head. "Real cute sensei, but I'm serious. I really want to have a chat with you." Kyou told her.

"Isn't that what we were doing on the walk here? Chatting about our lives? Or what do you call that?" Satomi asked.

"That. That was called shooting the s… eh breeze." Kyou chuckled. "Never mind. Fine, I won't beat around the bush because that's not the Young Chief's style. I have some questions that I want to ask you, and I want you to be truthful."

Satomi nodded. "Okay, go ahead. Ask away. I promise to be straight with you."

"What happened with us?" Kyou asked.

"Eh?" Satomi asked.

Meanwhile, in the dressing room, Yankumi and her future mother-in-law were also having a deep conversation. Sawada san bowed to all of the ladies and asked them to excuse themselves.

"Sawada san." Yankumi turned to greet her mother-in-law. "Please, today you are joining our family and will become a Sawada. Please, call me mother or mother-in-law." She replied.

Yankumi turned around to look at her with an expression of surprise and love. "Sawada sa- I mean mother. Does this mean that I finally have your approval?"

"Why yes of course dear. If you didn't have my approval, then we wouldn't have helped with the wedding planning. What made you think I didn't approve dear?" Sawada san told her.

"It was the fact that you threw me out of the house the first time we met, when Sawada sama threatened to arrest my family and I when Shin was staying with us, your faces when you found out we were engaged, the fact that you didn't talk to me directly and used Natsumi to relay messages to me. That's why I thought you and Sawada sama did not approve of me. I mean, Shin chose me as his bride. I'm sure that you wouldn't have chosen me for Shin if you had your choice. I'm quite sure that you had a long list of females in line to introduce him to as a marriage candidate. From what I can see, you have never agreed or approved of Shin's decisions." Yankumi looked directly at her eyes.

Shin's mother cleared her throat and looked away momentarily. "Well, there is that. That is true. You definitely are not the person that we would have chosen for our Shin not in a million years." She looked at Yankumi's disheartened face and added. "Well, maybe, a thousand years. Anyway, yes, there certainly were other candidates that were more suitable and would fit into our family and the political lifestyle better than you, those who would have already known etiquette, table manners, and ballroom dancing." Yankumi glared at her and cleared her throat. "Yes, yes. Sorry dear. The point is judging from those standpoints, there certainly were more suitable candidates, and no we haven't typically seen eye-to-eye with all of Shin's choices, most of Shin's choices, any of Shin's choices. However, of all Shin's choices, you were the best. You were the only choice that made our Shin smile. And judging on that basis alone, you are the most suitable candidate to make our Shin smile and to keep him smiling. So how could we not approve of you?"

"Oh mother." Yankumi got up to hug her. "Thank you, and thank father for me, too. I will give him a great big kiss to thank him for approving of me when I see him."

"No, I wouldn't say that." Shin's mother hurriedly stated.

"Eh?" Yankumi asked.

"That is, I wouldn't do that. I wouldn't kiss Sawada sama. Since he is in public and in front of a lot of dignitaries, it would make him too uncomfortable if you were to do that. So please, don't mention it." Sawada san hugged her again smiling, but grimaced when Yankumi was facing away from her. "Anyway dear, if you want to thank Shin's father, hurry up and give him a grandson or two. Then he'll approve of you two."

"Eh?" Yankumi gently pushed her mother-in-law back.

"That is so he can approve of the children too." Sawada looked down cringing again. "Oh, yes, the reason I came here in the first place was to give you this." She opened a long jewelry box containing an antique pearl necklace. "This has been in the Sawada family for generations, and it is to be passed along to the daughter-in-law on their wedding day. It is said to bring them luck in having sons." She placed it around Yankumi's neck. "It's beautiful dear. It suits you well."

"Thank you mother. I'll cherish it and your son too." Yankumi smiled holding onto the necklace and looking up at her mother-in-law.

"I'm sure you will. Now, I will leave you to finished getting ready." She walked out, leaving Yankumi alone and closing the door behind her. Then she came back in. "By the way, I forgot to mention that you make an absolutely beautiful bride, and that's a gorgeous dress. So don't mess it up during dinner and spill something on it or get it stepped on while dancing. That will be so embarrassing."

Yankumi cringed and began to panic again as her mother-in-law left her to visit with her daughter, Natsumi. It was at times like these that Yankumi longed for a mother or at least a surrogate mother. Unfortunately, the person who was supposed to perform that role was still outside deep in conversation with Kyou.

"What happened between the two of us? I mean I was serious about you, and I thought you were into me, too. We were good together. I thought we could have gone the distance. I thought …" Kyou shook his head. "Never mind what I thought. Just tell me the truth now. And don't give me that conflict of interest B.S. that it was because you were Ojou's teacher, and you didn't want people to think you were biased toward Ojou cause you were dating me. That's why we waited until after you wuz no longer Ojou's teacher. So what happened?"

Satomi mocked him again. "Don't tell me that the almighty Kyotaro Oshima is asking about relationships? That's not like the Young Chief that I know is it? To make all this noise over some bird."

"Satomi, I'm tryin' to be serious here. Yeah I know that the clan and then Ojou wuz my life since I joined up with the Boss, and I put them first, but now Ojou is gettin' married. So I've been doin' some thinkin'. Ojou is starting her family, and it is high time that I did something about that myself. After all, this Young Chief ain't as young as he used to be. To be honest, I … with you … Well anyway, so what happened with us? You wuz the only katagi I ever got close to."

"You want to know what happened with us, Oshima. You're yakuza. That's what happened to us." Satomi replied.

"Yeah, but you knew that going into this, and you didn't seem to mind then. Or if you did, I thought you had put that aside." Kyou replied.

"Yeah, well I thought I had too. I thought I could deal, but I was wrong." She shrugged.

Kyou shook his head and scoffed. "Hmph, I thought you were different, Satomi. I guess I was wrong about you. I guess you're just like every other katagi that is too embarrassed to admit that her boyfriend is a gangsta. I thought at least you would understand seeing as how you handled Ojou so well and all."

Satomi shook her head. "No, Oshima, you are wrong. That's not why. I wasn't ashamed of you at all. It was because at the time you were trying to become the Young Chief. So you were taking on all of the tough jobs and handling them personally. You made sure to be a part of every single job the clan had to take on. That day. That time when Kumiko called me at school, to tell me that you had been hurt and was in the hospital, my heart dropped. I couldn't take it. I was so worried. It was all I could do to finish teaching that day and wait until school ended to go see about you at the hospital. That was the first time in my entire teaching career that I wasn't able to concentrate on doing my job fully, except that time Kumiko used the sleeper on me and knocked me out, that is. But that time when I got the call about you being in the hospital, it scared me because teaching has always been my dream, and I'm good at it. I love my job, but when I found that I was more worried about you than doing my job, and when I went to the hospital and everyone else thought it was no big deal, that was just all in a day's work, I realized I couldn't face worrying about you every day, whether or not you would be there. So, I gave up. Just like you gave up on me. Otherwise, why did you just let me go?"

"I didn't want to." Kyou gazed at her intently. "I didn't want to let you go." He repeated softer. "But next thing I knew, you were with _that_ guy. I guess you thought _that_ guy had a safer job than me. Someone who you knew would come home safely every day. You two looked happy together so I gave up and let him have you. Where is he by the way? Did you two go the distance? Is he coming today?"

Satomi looked at Kyou with sad eyes. "Yeah, we did go the distance. We got married, but he won't be coming today. I'm here by myself."

"Oh really? Why is that?" Kyou asked interested.

Satomi put her head down for a second and took a deep breath. She looked up at Kyou and opened her mouth to explain when she saw Sawada san exiting the dressing room. "I'm sorry Kyou. We will have to finish this conversation later if you have the time. Right now, it's time for me to take care of Kumiko." She got up and went into the room.

Yankumi was fully dressed but in panic mode. So, when the door opened again, Yankumi was fretting another chastisement from her mother-in-law. She gasped as she saw who was there. "Ishikawa sensei, is that you?" Yankumi asked.

"Yes, dear. When I heard that you were getting married from Oshi, that is Kyotaro san, I had to be here to congratulate my favorite student." Ishikawa sensei leaned down to hug Yankumi.

Yankumi turned in her seat to face the teacher. "What? You mean me? I'm your favorite student?"

"Yes dear, of course you are. Didn't you know that?" Ishikawa sensei asked.

Yankumi shook her head. "No, I didn't. I heard you say that I was your most annoying student, most troublesome student, most frustrating student, most challenging, most …"

"Yes, yes dear, that is true you were all those to me, but most of all you were my favorite student. Do you know why?" Ishikawa sensei asked. Yankumi shook her head.

"It was because you were also my best student, my brightest student, my most curious student, by far my most memorable student and a true student in every since of the word. Everything fascinated you, which is why you got yourself into so much trouble, and you learned from everything you did or observed. You did challenge me, but because of that I became a better teacher. I also obtained many promotions all thanks to you. Every time you were promoted, they promoted me also." Ishikawa sensei smiled. _Because no one else could handle you_.

Yankumi nodded. "It's just like me. My 3D students were my most challenging students, and they are my most memorable students. They taught me as much as I taught them. They taught me about life, family, friendship, loyalty, and love. I guess that's why I am marrying one of my most difficult students today." Yankumi smiled wistfully and then gasped. "Oh, that's right. Did you know that I am a teacher Ishikawa sensei, just like you? Do you remember when I wrote that my dream was to become a teacher just like you? Well, I achieved my dream. Aren't you surprised?"

Ishikawa sensei shook her head and smiled proudly. "Not at all. I knew that you could do it. In fact, I have no doubt in my mind that anything you set your mind on you could do. Do you know why I am so confident in you?" Yankumi shook her head like a child being guided by a teacher. "It's the same reason that all of your fellow classmates followed your every word and deed. It's the same reason that you had such a loyal following in Yoshiro kun. It's the same reason that your student fell in love with you. It's your heart. You have a really generous and giving heart, and it is displayed in everything you do. People can tell that you really have their best interests at heart whenever you choose to do something. Even if it's risky, or dangerous, or might get someone into trouble, they know that you are not doing it simply for yourself but for their benefit as well. They know that whatever you are trying to do they will get some benefit out of it somehow. That is why you were such a charismatic leader, and that is why I had no doubt in my mind that you would achieve whatever you wanted to do and become successful at it. That is why I know that today you will face whatever challenge comes your way, be it dancing, or table etiquette or whatever. I'm confident you can do it." She embraced Yankumi's shoulders.

Yankumi placed a gloved hand over her former teacher's hand and smiled. "Thank you, sensei. You don't know how much your words just now meant to me. I'm glad that you were here. You have always had thoughtful words of wisdom, and I always took those words to heart. Even if I chose to ignore your words, I always took your words to heart and remembered every single word. Do you remember what you said to me when you found out I wanted to become a teacher?" Ishikawa frowned and shook her head. "You said 'I hope you become a teacher, and you end up with a class of students just like yourself.'" Yankumi chuckled as she recalled.

"And did you?" Ishikawa sensei asked.

"Oh no, I ended up with a bunch of juvenile delinquents that were always using foul language and inappropriate gestures. They were always in trouble with the head teacher, and I was always bowing to policemen, teachers, parents, other schools, etc. to get them out of trouble, or I would have to fight for them, with them, or against them to get them back on the straight and narrow path. Once, one of them got involved with this gambling ring, and they tried to get revenge on me after he graduated for helping my student." (AN: See A Gokusen Jdorama ending.) Yankumi shook her head. "They were nothing like me as a student. They were much worse than me. I was an angel compared to my students."

Ishikawa sensei smiled. _They were just like her_. "I wouldn't go that far dear to say you were an angel."

"I said in comparison to them." Yankumi asserted.

Ishikawa sensei pat her on the arm. "As you say, dear. I'm looking forward to meeting some of your former students so why don't we go meet your most precious student right now?" Yankumi giggled, blushed, and nodded. "By the way dear, I hear that one of those young ladies is your surrogate sister. Which one?"

Yankumi chuckled with a smug glance. "Guess."

"Is it the tall, dark, athletic-looking one?" Ishikawa sensei asked. _Oshima said that the girl is younger than Kumiko, and she's younger._

"Nope, that's her boyfriend's sister." Yankumi answered.

"Well, is it the cute little one they call Natsumi?" Ishikawa sensei asked.

Yankumi thought. She wouldn't know Imani's real name, would she. "Nope but you are close."

"Well, the tall, pale one that looks like a model is older than you, and so is the other short one. So …?" Ishikawa sensei thought.

"Nope they both worked at my first school with me." Yankumi smirked.

"You mean, it's the foreign one that looks like a doll?" Ishikawa sensei placed her hand under her chin in thought. _Well, Yoshiro did say that she had something in common with Rini chan. I guess she meant that she is foreign_.

Yankumi nodded. "That's right. We all call her the Little Raven, and guess what, she is a teacher too. Actually, she is professor, and she teaches at Keiko University and also in the states. She's really smart, and she can fight, too. Her grandfather and my grandfather are sworn brothers."

"You mean to tell me that her family is yakuza, too!" Ishikawa sensei yelled.

"Shhhh, sensei, please. Of course she isn't." Yankumi told her as her former teacher calmed down. "Just her grandfather on her father's side is. Her mother's side was American and were katagi. Anyway, you can meet her later. Right now, it's time for me to get ready to meet my prince." Yankumi was both excited and anxious. As if on cue, her grandfather knocked on the door and came in. Ishikawa sensei excused herself.

Her grandfather looked her over and shook his head. "You make a lovely bride my dear granddaughter. I'm sure that you are just as beautiful as your mother must have been as a bride." He sighed and then smiled at Kumiko. "I'm glad that you gave me a chance to amend myself. If only I didn't end on bad terms with your mother, then I would have been able to walk her down the aisle and see how lovely she was on her wedding day. I wish I could have given her away instead of run her away."

Kekkon sama knocked at that time and ushered them to the room where they would wait for their cue to enter.

When she arrived in the waiting room, escorted by her grandfather, all of the bride's maids complimented her.

Imani came over to her. "Miko, you are stunning. You look much better in this dress than in the other dress. Aren't you glad you changed? You look like a true princess."

"Yes, but the other one had better accessories." Yankumi replied. "You look gorgeous too. The dress fits like a glove."

"Thank you. They managed to alter it quickly. Who would have thought that I lost so much weight from what happened in Hong Kong." Imani said absently.

"What do you mean? What happened in Hong Kong?" Yankumi asked.

"You know, the stress of testifying and having to wait for so many days." Imani smiled, inside cringing due to the momentary slip.

"Oh." Yankumi replied. "Is that all? Just try getting married and see how that stresses you out." She laughed nervously.

_Heh, try getting kidnapped and having to save two little girls._ Imani thought and smiled at her sister.

"It's time." Kekkon sama came in and told them all, which sent a slight air of tension throughout all the ladies in the bridal party, except for one of them.

**

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**

The Wedding

The wedding hall became quiet as Shin and the court official walked out in front of the stage. Once they were set, Yoshiro began to sing for the bridal procession. Having not seen the bride's maids in their dresses, the groom's men were ill-prepared for the strapless, shear, shimmery, heart-shaped cut breast line lavender dress with a white bodice underneath, a matching shear, shimmery lavender scarf wrapped around their necks and hanging down their backs, matching lavender heels with a white flower decorating the shoe, and a split on either side of their dress to finish off the look. All of them had their hair pinned in a French roll with a hairpin that had lavender flowers decorating it.

As a result when Minoru met Mariko at the aisle, he was left dumb-founded, staring at her and forgot what he was supposed to do. That is, until Mariko prompted him by bowing and whispering to him to bow. When they stood up, she waited for about 30 seconds for him to kiss her on her cheeks. When he did not, she moved forward to kiss him on his cheeks and reminded him to return the kiss. As they proceeded down the aisle, Mariko practically drug a crimson-faced Minoru down the aisle a little hurriedly as they had taken a little longer than planned to complete their procession.

Next, when Noda saw Fujiyama sensei, he was also at a loss for words. Instead he had a huge goofy grin on his face as he was picturing her being marched down the aisle to meet him as his bride. When she arrived, she also waited for him to bow, which he failed to do. So, she bowed first and then asked him if he was planning on bowing any time soon as she stood erect.

In answer he said. "I do." As he heard laughter, he finally came to his senses bowed and didn't hesitate to kiss her on both cheeks. In fact, he did it twice.

Fujiyama smiled and remarked under her breath. "You are so dead, later." Noda continued to grin toothily and happily escorted her down the aisle.

Although Minami had never shown any interest in Kawashima sensei, when he saw her in the dress, he involuntarily whistled. After they performed the bow and the kiss, he whispered to her as he escorted her down the aisle. "Sensei, if you aren't doing anything later, perhaps we can hook up."

Kawashima sensei smiled and responded under her breath. "You are still 100 years too early to handle me, boy." As she walked down the aisle, she made sure to look in Shinohara's direction. _"Hmph, I bet that love you can't let go of doesn't hold a candle to me in this dress. I bet you're regretting not paying attention to me now."_ She thought as she gave him a lingering glance and smile.

Shinohara gave her an appreciative glance and nod as she passed by, and he was regretting momentarily. That would change once he saw Yankumi, though.

Next, it was Tsuchi and Natsumi's turn. Although he found her attractive in the dress, he was not overly enthralled by her appearance like the other groom's men to forget his role or make undue advances. He simply paid her a compliment though. "You make a beautiful bride's maid."

"Thank you." She replied shyly with a big smile. As Tsuchi and Natsumi were proceeding down the aisle, Kekkon sama purposely timed the procession so that Imani and Uchi would make their entrance while Tsuchi and Natsumi were still progressing forward, which was a good thing because Tsuchi would have headed back down the aisle if he had seen the lascivious look that Uchi gave Imani when they met.

Imani was the only one in a different dress. Hers was a white shimmery, shear halter dress, with a V-cut breast line with a lavender bodice underneath. Her split was down the center of her dress in the back and on the front, and her dress was also fitted. Rather than have the scarf around the neck where the halter dress was, hers was draped across the back of her arms.

When Uchi met her, he shook his head smiling. "Stunning, simply stunning." Then, much to Kekkon sama's dismay and surprise, he bowed, but then kissed her hand as he stood erect. In response, Imani bowed and then curtsied not to be outdone. Like Noda, Uchi kissed her on both cheeks twice. Not to be outdone, Imani kissed him on both cheeks, but blew in his ear just before finishing causing his knees to buckle for a second. She chuckled quietly as he escorted her down the aisle.

Although Tsuchi missed the exchange between Uchi and Imani since he was still in the process of moving forward, he was aware that Imani had made her entrance as he heard all of the comments while he passed the spectators. "Oh how cute, a little bride's maid." "Just like a doll." "Oh, she's so pretty in her little dress." Having heard that he began to be anxious to get to his place so he could turn around and see her. He wasn't disappointed either. When Tsuchi was able to turn around, his mouth dropped as he saw Imani. It was all he could do to keep from getting out of place and escorting her himself. He then smiled and mouthed to her, "you look gorgeous." She winked at him in return as she took her place and as Yuuta was marching up the aisle with a pillow bearing the rings.

Although Shin and the others were amused at Tsuchi's reaction to seeing Imani, they were even more amused at Shin's reaction when Yankumi proceeded down the aisle.

Yoshiro played the introduction to the bridal march to indicate to everyone to stand, and then began to sing "You are so beautiful to me." As Yoshiro sang he looked up to see Yankumi and almost faltered as he sang the word "beautiful." He, along with all the others who held secret or not so secret crushes on her, stared at her longingly as she marched down the aisle with her head facing down trying to focus on walking down the aisle without tripping.

Shin was at first calm as he looked up at her with his usual smirk, but his mouth fell open as he stared at her entranced. Finally, Shin beamed broadly as everyone was treated to the smile he rarely showed that dazzled everyone. Shin's dazzling smile was nothing compared to Yankumi in her princess-dress with flowers embroidered in the trunk of it. The top of the gown was strapless, sleeveless and embroidered with a flower pattern and pearls sequenced across the top outlining it. The skirt of the dress also had flowers embroidered with pearls attached across the hem at the bottom. Her hair was curled and pinned with little tendrils hanging out, and her veil was a princess tiara with lace hanging down. Everyone was so enthralled by the bride's appearance that they failed to notice, the tall man with a scar on his eye come down the aisle backwards directly following Yankumi and her grandfather and scanning the crowd closely for any sudden movements. Nor did they notice Sugawara and Wakamatsu on either side of them.

Yankumi was so nervous trying to keep in time with the music, that she was tightly gripping her grandfather's arm. Her grandfather walked stately, although constantly adjusting his arm so as not to lose feeling in it as how Yankumi tightly held her grandfather's arm in a vice-like grip. When Yankumi finally looked up and saw Shin in his white tuxedo and lavender tie and accents, her nervousness subsided. She then began to march in a trance-like state toward her groom. Shin grabbed her arm as her grandfather handed Yankumi over to him. And thus the wedding and their life together began without any further hindrance … is what I would like to say.

However, this story isn't known as a series of unfortunate events without good reason. Thus the wedding began without any further hindrance until they came to the part where the court officer asked if there were any objections to the couple getting married. Surprisingly, there was one brave, however, foolish soul that would stand up and object, and that is how the first of a series of unfortunate fights broke out. Ah, but I've gotten ahead of myself yet again and ruined it for you. Or have I? If you want to know, you'll just have to wait until the next chapter.

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(**A/N**) Okay, you are probably really steamed wondering why it took so long to finish this chapter. Would you believe I couldn't figure out how to write the last three pages? The first 12 were not a problem. I finally have something I was okay with enough to post. So, I apologize for the long wait. Don't worry. I will provide all of the details for the wedding. Oh yes, Iron Maiden and Twisted Sister refer to two heavy metal bands. You can research them to understand the reference.


	17. Ch17: Unwelcome Reception

**Disclaimer**: Same as Chapter 16

**RECAP**:The problems with the bride's maids dresses were fixed, but not without Imani having to roam around in cosplay before the wedding. Kyou had an interesting talk with Ishikawa sensei as Yankumi had the pre-wedding talk with Shin's mother and Ishikawa sensei. Finally, the wedding began.

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**Chapter 17 Unwelcome Reception**

So where were we in this blissful wedding? Ah yes, that's right. We were at the part where the court official asks for objections. As soon as the court official asked … Nevermind, let's just join in shall we?

"So if there is any reason why this man and this woman should not be joined in holy matrimony let them speak now or forever hold their peace." The court official smiled and looked around. The wedding party turned to look at Shin's parents, in particular his father, who just gave a slight nod as everyone else relaxed.

Eksuh san had his hand on his cell phone poised to send a text message indicating that it was time for the "special present" prepared for the wedding as he watched his employer waiting for the discreet nod to start the festivities. As the man was about to signal his assistant, a tall blonde man, with a ponytail jumped up and shouted, "I object. I'd like to propose an omiai challenge."

Everyone turned around to the back to stare at the man wearing a dark suit, with the exception of a certain person who slightly shook his head to indicate to delay the present until a later time.

Yankumi, recognizing the Uma-No-O immediately, saw red, and her face devilized as Kyou, Sugawara, and Wakamatsu began to reach into their jacket pockets. Kuroda cleared his throat as they looked at him, and he shook his head. They relaxed their grips and removed their hands. "You." Yankumi growled. "I thought we settled this on Thursday. You said that that would be your last omiai challenge. I beat you fair and square."

"Yes, that is true. That was my last challenge to _you_, but I'm challenging _him_." He pointed at Shin, who arched his eyebrows and smirked. "You said that you would never marry a man who wasn't stronger than you. So, I have a right to challenge him to see if he can beat me. If so, that would indicate that he is strong enough to marry you. If not, then the wedding should be called off, and you should give me another chance to get stronger and prove myself to you."

"Why, you," Yankumi headed toward him, but Shin grabbed her arm restraining her.

"I accept." Shin said. Yankumi looked at him, surprised.

"Oh my." Shin's mother covered her mouth and looked as if she would faint. Shin's father's face was stern and red, and he looked around embarrassed. "I knew it. I knew something like this would happen if he married that gangster teacher. That's why I said to call off the wedding." He whispered only loud enough for his wife to hear as he supported her.

"If I had known that something like this would happen, then I would have done it without hesitation, dear. Kekkon sama will answer for this … this embarrassment." Shin's mother whispered in reply still faint.

"Shin, no. You shouldn't have to do this. I know you are stronger than me. You don't have to prove it, _especially not to him_." Yankumi shook her head and pointed at him angrily.

"It's not about that." Shin said. _I need to know that I can protect my woman. I need everyone to know that I can protect her. "_It's about a man's pride. He should accept any challenge to prove that he can protect the woman that he loves." Shin directed his gaze toward Shinohara at that point.

"Shin, Yankumi's right." Uchi chimed in. "This is your wedding day. You shouldn't have to fight or prove yourself."

"Then, how about I stand in as his second?" Imani raised her hand and said quietly to everyone's surprise.

"Imani no!" Yankumi, Tsuchi, Shin, and Uchi all replied simultaneously.

"No, Imani, I'm the best man. That means that I should be his second. I'll go in his place." Uchi responded.

"No, I'll take his place and fight instead of Imani. I'm her boyfriend. There's no way I'm going to let her fight." Tsuchi replied.

"I'll accept a stand-in in his place as long as it is you." He replied, pointing to the front. Tsuchi nodded and began to uncuff his sleeves and unbutton his jacket. "No, not you." The man replied.

Uchi nodded. "That's more like it. I accept on my friend's behalf." Uchi began to unbutton his jacket.

"No, not you either. I believe the young lady offered first. I will accept her challenge." The Uma-No-O responded.

Imani smiled and nodded at the man as the crowd all gasped in shock and horror that such a large man would fight a tiny little doll-like girl.

At the crowd's reaction, his men stood up with him and consulted with him. "Boss, don't. Either way it comes out, it'll look bad for our group. If you lose, then they will say that our boss isn't even strong enough to take on a little girl, but if you win, you'll look like your bullying a little girl. Besides, aren't you violating one of the three yakuza laws by doing this at the wedding?"

The blonde man turned to his subordinate and smiled. "Relax. I know what I'm doing. Do you have any idea who that little girl is?" They shook their heads. "She's Kenazawa Natsumi, Kenazawa's granddaughter."

"You mean _that_ granddaughter? The Little Raven, the one that at 2 years old took out a whole group of men to rescue Kuroda's granddaughter?" One of his men looked at her in awe.

"Well, I'm not sure that's quite the story, but that is her more or less." He replied. "Besides, if she defeats me, then it means that they belong together, and no one should doubt that that katagi is strong enough to be the clan's successor." They all gave their support as Imani handed her flower to Natsumi to hold.

Yankumi grabbed Imani's arm as she was heading toward the rear. "Imani, it will be okay, won't it?" Imani nodded. Yankumi nodded and then had a sudden thought. "See, I told you we should have kept the other dress. It would have been useful right now. You would have at least had a weapon to use."

Imani glared at her. "Mention that other dress again, and I'll come back for you after we take your pictures."

Yankumi gave her a broad, goofy, sheepish grin and nodded. "Nevermind." Imani shook her head and continued to head toward the man.

As Imani headed toward the rear door, he spoke up. "Just a moment, don't we need witnesses so that there is no doubt as to who won?"

Imani gestured. "Pick whoever you like." He chose four burly men who acted as his bodyguards. Imani nodded and continued toward the door.

"Just a moment." Odagiri stood up. "She'll need witnesses, too." He signaled to the other three 3D members to join him. He gave Tsuchi the "thumbs-up" signal and a reassuring wink and nod. Tsuchi, as well as Yankumi relaxed at that. Imani waited for the four young men to catch up with her before she proceeded to the door. When she got there, Imani stopped and turned back to look at one person who she knew would be panicking and lamenting over the career-ending job she had chosen to take.

Kekkon sama was in fact at that moment, thinking up excuses to tell everyone and what field of work she would go into next when she caught Imani's eye. Imani mouthed the words "music" to her and looked toward Yoshiro at that moment. Kekkon sama understood and acted immediately. "Ladies and gentlemen, at this time I would like to call your attention to our very special musical guest. He is a native son of Japan that immigrated to America to become a popular soul singer. He flew back just to bring the gift of his voice to his childhood friend for her wedding. Now let's welcome …"

While everyone's attention had been turned toward Yoshiro, Imani and company went outside in the hall. She took out one of the numerous clips from her hair and then gathered her dress together, tied it up in the back of her and clipped it. She turned to face her opponent. "So, how shall we do this?"

"Best of three rounds or until one of us is incapacitated." He told her as he removed his jacket and handed it to his men. "No outside interference if anyone is knocked unconscious."

"As you like." Imani agreed. "But I'll make this short. I have a wedding to get back to." She smirked.

"Hmph. Well, then shall we begin?" They bowed to each other and got into a fighting stance. "Ladies first." He motioned for her to come at him.

"Don't mind if I do." Imani smiled. She then backed up to the end of the hall and took off running at high speed towards him. Just before she reached him, she veered to the right and pushed off the wall, she then veered to the left to propel herself off the side table where the guest book lay. As she propelled herself off the table, she did a forward flip into the air over his head. As she flipped over him, she reached out and touched a pressure point in the back of his neck and landed in a crouching position with her arms out. She turned to face him just as he slumped on the ground unconscious. His men gathered around him trying to awaken him.

"Boss, boss." They shook him in vain.

Odagiri and the others finished recording and closed their cell phones. They went over to Imani who was returning her clothing to its original state. They applauded.

"Nice work." Yabuki came and hugged her as 3D gathered around her.

"Yeah." The others agreed and hugged her as well.

"Thank you. Now, let's get back before anyone begins to panic." Imani motioned.

Yoshiro was only able to finish one verse of the song he had begun to sing as a distraction when the rear door opened. All eyes were on the door and Yoshiro hurriedly ended the song. They waited patiently to see who would walk in first. To their disappointment, Odagiri, Yabuki, Takeda, and Hyuga were the ones coming through the door slowly, looking somber. Tsuchi looked at Odagiri anxiously who shrugged in response. Tsuchi became anxious until Imani walked through the door a few seconds later with a purposeful stride and sporting a somber look as well. Finally, when the four men came in carrying their boss, the audience breathed a sigh of relief and began to applaud Imani. She hurriedly returned to her spot and then grinned at Yankumi and Shin and nodded at Tsuchi.

The court officer smiled at Imani and continued relieved. "Again, if anyone knows of any reason why this couple should not be legally married, let them speak now, forever hold their peace, or deal with the maiden of honor." Everyone chuckled at that. Imani, having heard about Yankumi's frantic day on Thursday smiled, but gazed intently at Shinohara, Kujo sensei, Baba sensei, and Yoshiro with a challenging look on her face. They each shook their heads and then looked down.

Eksuh san looked over at his boss who motioned with his hand to leave matters alone. His boss had a satisfied look on his face. _That was quite entertaining, but you aint seen nothing yet._ He thought to himself.

The wedding continued as they got to the point where they recited their vows. Now that she no longer had to worry about any disapprovals, disturbances, or her little sister's welfare, Yankumi found herself becoming ever more nervous. Thus when the official asked her to repeat after him, she had trouble.

"Please repeat after me. "I, Yamaguchi Kumiko, take you, Sawada Shin." The official began.

"I, Kamaguchi Yumiko." The crowd chuckled and Yankumi became flustered as she realized her mistake. "Wait, that's not right. I, Yankumi, take you Sawada Shin."

"Ano, please use your full name." The court official asked.

"Oh, yes. I, Yamkuchi Gumiko. Eh no. What is my name?" Yankumi became completely flustered and began to frown in a panic.

At that point, Shin grabbed her hands and spoke. "Kumiko, look at me." She looked at Shin. "Now, calm down. We'll get through this and everything else from now on together." Yankumi nodded and exhaled. The court official looked at her again and she nodded.

He began again. "Will the bride please repeat after me?" He looked at Yankumi for confirmation and she nodded. "I, Yamaguchi Kumiko."

Yankumi smiled. "I," She paused again as her mind went blank and the words wouldn't come out. Imani sighed and leaned close to Yankumi and whispered in her ear. Yankumi's face devilized for a second before she straightened and continued. "I, Yamaguchi Kumiko, take you Sawada Shin to be my lawfully wedded husband." The court official, not to mention Shin, were so relieved that she could finally finish the first part of the vow that he forgot to continue until Shin cleared his throat.

Thus, they completed their vows, exchanged rings and finished the wedding ceremony without any further disturbances. By the time the court official began the pronouncement, "I now pronounce you man and wife," Shin had already leant Yankumi back took off her veil and kissed her passionately before the court official could even instruct him.

The court official looked down and waited for 30 seconds while Shin was in a deep lip-lock with Yankumi. Finally, he cleared his throat. "Okay, you can now release the bride from the kiss." The crowd chuckled as he said that. Shin released Yankumi and had to help her up and support her as she had the usual dreamy look and goofy grin on her face. The court official spoke once again. "Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Shin and Kumiko Sawada." Everyone stood and applauded as Minami, Noda, and Uchi gathered around Shin patting him on the back, elbowing him, and winking at him. Shin once again broke into one of those rare, broad, dazzling smiles. Imani and the other ladies all hugged Yankumi and congratulated her. Afterwards, Shin turned to Yankumi and lifted her up bridal style and carried her out of the rear door. Yankumi just smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. After they left, Kekkon sama quickly went to the stage and made an announcement.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to thank you for coming to this most auspicious occasion and for your patience and understanding. While the wedding party takes pictures, we'd like for you to join us out in the foyer in front of the reception hall for some light refreshments and to listen to a live band entertain us until we are ready in the reception area. So, please proceed out of the rear door, and make a right and then another right. If you will follow my assistants, they will lead you to the location. Thank you." Kekkon sama also rushed with the crowd, hoping to instruct the photographer and avoid the confrontation that she knew would beforthcoming about the fiasco that occurred during the wedding. She had just about made it through the door, when Sawada san stopped her.

"Kekkon sama, someone has to take responsibility for that … that fiasco that happened during the wedding. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that was? Just how do you suppose I face all of the foreign dignitaries and other diet members and explain what happened? I hope you have an explanation all prepared and will accept full responsibility." Shin's mother was pale and worried.

"Sawada san, I assure you …" Kekkon sama began but was interrupted by some of the foreign dignitaries' wives.

"Oh excuse us, Sawada san, we didn't mean to interrupt you. We just wanted to let you know how much we enjoyed the wedding, and the mini play. We know that the Japanese have many traditions and customs and pride themselves on their meaningful plays, but this is the first time that anyone ever incorporated one during the wedding. We just wanted to know was this a custom in the past or is this a new tradition because we thoroughly enjoyed it." One of the ladies stated.

"Yes, that display of true love and willingness to fight for your bride until the end. What kind of play is that? Did they have to practice a long time, or did you hire actors to be in the wedding just for this purpose?" Another lady asked.

"Play? Actors?" Sawada san shook her head confused.

"Why, yes, you had us fooled for a second into thinking that what did he call it? Oh yes, the omiai challenge was real, but when that little doll-like girl offered to fight and then he accepted, and she actually beat him, we realized that it had to be a play." The first lady continued.

"Oh, my yes. How else could such a petite little thing beat that huge, strong-looking man? It's just impossible otherwise." Another lady chimed in.

"Yes, that's why we knew it had to be some sort of symbol of true love conquering all type expression." The second lady added. "Something like your son's true feelings possessed that little young lady enabling her to defeat the big villain, as in true love overcomes any obstacle no matter how big or small." Another lady offered.

Kekkon sama seeing this as an opportunity to avoid incurring the wrath and temper of Sawada san smiled. "Actually, they were not actors. She really was a member of the bridal party, and he was an acquaintance of the bride's family. They practiced really diligently to make it look realistic. They did a fantastic job didn't they?" She nodded at Sawada san who frowned and was skeptical at first but then nodded.

"Ye-yes, they did a marvelous job." Sawada san smiled. "It was the first time for me to see it, and I could hardly tell that they were acting."

"So, whose idea was it, and what is that play called? I loved it. You know my daughter is getting married soon, and I would like to put that in her wedding, too. It will simply amaze the guests." The first lady asked.

"It was my idea." Both Kekkon sama and Sawada san spoke simultaneously. The four ladies looked back and forth between the two ladies.

"That is, it was Sawada san's idea to perform a play. It was my idea to not let anyone know we would perform that play or see it until the actual wedding day." Kekkon sama covered smoothly.

"Oh, and what is the play called?" The lady asked.

"Yes dear, since you decided on it, please tell us what the play was called." Sawada san smiled deviously.

"It was called …" Kekkon sama paused as she thought. "The Omiai Challenge. I'd be happy to give you all the details, after all I am the wedding coordinator responsible for what happens at this wedding." She took out her card. "Here is my card. Just give my office a call, and we would be happy to coordinate with you if you don't already have someone. Right now, I have to make sure that the photographers get the right pictures. So, if you will excuse us." Kekkon sama bowed.

"Oh, thank you dear. We'll be in touch." The lady smiled and walked off with the others.

Sawada san smiled watching them go and then frowned as soon as they were out of sight. "You were lucky they thought that was a play or else your reputation would be ruined."

Kekkon sama had been walking with Sawada san quickly to get to the area where pictures were being taken, when she stopped dead in her tracks. "But dear, how do you know that I didn't have that planned as a surprise for your guests? After all, I promised you that the wedding would be memorable and would move the hearts of all the guests. That play surely did that, did it not?" Kekkon sama gave her a wry smile and then continued to where the photographer and wedding party were. She breathed a sigh of relief when she arrived. Sawada san had just stared after her wondering.

By the time they arrived, the photographer had already taken the pictures with the bride and groom, with the entire wedding party, with just the bridal party, and then just the groom's men. They were in the midst of taking the bride's family's portrait when Kekkon sama strode over to the photographer to ask how the pictures were coming along.

"See for yourself. I can't seem to get the bride's family to smile. They all tend to pose like they are taking mug shots for some reason. They always start at the front, then turn to one side, and then turn to the other." He showed her the three pictures he had taken so far.

Kekkon sama closed her eyes and put her head in her hands for a second. She opened her eyes, exhaled, and told him. "Just do the best you can. I'm counting on you." She bowed and went over to the family to try to prepare everyone for the next shots. She then called her assistants to ask about the reception hall.

"Everything is ready here." Kokoro replied. "We are just waiting for the wedding party to arrive. Everyone seems to be enjoying themselves, and they keep talking about some play they enjoyed called 'Omiai Challenge.' They are recommending it to everyone."

Kekkon sama hung up the phone and waited until all of the traditional wedding pictures were taken to head to the reception. The photographer then asked if anyone wanted additional pictures taken and all of the groom's men asked for pictures to be taken with each of the bride's maids and then all of them together. As they were arguing over who would go first, Shin surprised them all and requested taking a picture with the maiden of honor first.

As they were setting up the shot, Shin spoke to Imani. "Three questions."

"Let me guess, what I said during the wedding, what happened when I went outside for the omiai challenge, and how did I escape in Hong Kong." Imani answered.

"Right." Shin nodded as he stood beside her with his arm around her waist.

"In which order?" Imani asked.

"Just as you said." Shin replied as they sat down to take a second picture.

"Okay, first, I asked her if she thought Peach would do such a poor job as forgetting her name or messing up the vows. I told her she better shape up if she didn't want to lose to Peach." Imani replied calmly. "Second, I used the sleeper on him. I didn't want to take too long since I had a wedding to attend, and finally, I don't want to talk about Hong Kong. I just want to forget about it."

Shin nodded. "Understood." Then he frowned as he thought. "Wait a minute, who is Peach, and why would Kumiko worry about losing to her?" Shin looked confused.

Imani chuckled and shook her head. "You don't want to know. That's not important right now anyway. What is important is that you two are married. The hard part is over. All that is left to do is to sit back, relax, and enjoy the reception. The only thing you have to worry about is …" Imani paused and chose her words carefully. "Is making the wedding night memorable, exciting, and not getting hurt." Imani left chuckling and went over to Tsuchi.

When Kekkon sama had returned from the photographer, she instructed the hotel staff to open the reception area so that they could seat all of their guests. They managed to finish that just in time for the wedding party to arrive and be announced. They shook everyone's hands and then sat down. The wedding couple was served first. Yankumi looked at Shin waiting for him to choose the appropriate silverware to begin eating before she did. Shin waited for the rest of the wedding party to be served before he began to eat, making Yankumi nervous. When they had all been served, Shin turned to Yankumi and toasted her. She began to pick up the middle fork and Shin shook his head and motioned for her to move to the outside one. She moved out, and he nodded. She was relieved and began to eat.

Yankumi needn't have been worried that anyone would see her because everyone was too busy working on their own meals to notice her picking up the wrong fork. They completed the meal without any incident. When they got to the main course, which happened to be Cornish game hen, they all looked at Minoru first to make sure he was using the regular knife. However, Kekkon sama had asked that his food be pre-cut so that he wouldn't injure his finger again. They all chuckled at that. Having completed the meal without anyone losing fingers or a food fight, Yankumi, Shin, and the rest of the wedding party began to relax. So when Imani excused herself to go to the bathroom she had to do a double take when she was coming out of the restroom and recognized a young man walking around suspiciously and then sneak into a stairway. She frowned and grew suspicious.

Imani snapped a picture of him and sent it to Kurogin 3D with a note. "Recognize him?" She was following him stealthily. She looked around before she opened the door into the stairwell. As she opened the door, she felt a hand tap her on the shoulder and she went with her gut reaction which was to flip the person over, twist his wrist, and step on his chest.

"Uh, I was just wondering if you were lost. I saw you heading toward the stairs instead of back toward the reception, and I thought you might be lost. After all, it is my job to look after you, but if you don't want directions you just have to say so." Uchi smiled.

Imani breathed a sigh of relief and removed her foot, untwisted his wrist, and held out a hand to help him up. "Sorry, but don't ever sneak up on me again, especially when I am following someone."

Uchi's smile turned into a frown. "Following someone? Who?"

Just then they heard several sets of footsteps on the stair way. Imani placed a finger over her lips and pushed him into a dark corner, just underneath the stairs and was pressed against Uchi. Uchi, understanding the situation, spun them around 180 so that he completely covered her body with his own and pressed up against her to move them deeper into the shadows. That's when they heard the voices, a conversation, and a name that confirmed all of Imani's suspicions.

"Ken, where the hell have you been man? We just got a message from Eksuh san to begin the operation whenever we are ready. We can't do this unless everyone is accounted for. Shingou and his guys are in place. Hiro sent me to look for you." Minata fussed.

"Yeah, I know. I needed to go to the bathroom, and I thought it would be weird if someone saw all 30 of us hanging in the same restroom at once." Ken responded.

"Yeah, but why two floors down? Don't tell me you were trying to ditch us?" Minata asked.

Ken shrugged. "Didn't I do my part already? Isn't my part over, now? Man I don't want to get caught up like last time at the club when all I did was open the back door and let a few friends into the club. That was almost two years of my life gone for that. I don't think we should be doing this. I just know that it will end up like last time, and I don't want to lose another two years of my life." Ken replied.

"Well, it's too late to back out now. So just make sure that we don't get caught this time. We need to pay that gaijin sensei back for last time. If it hadn't been for that little doll, we wouldn't have been busted last time." Minata argued.

"Naugh man, she was righteous. If we hadn't let Junpei in that night, we could still be working at her club. I hear it's still the hottest night spot in town. I know we owe Junpei for taking responsibility for the fireworks thing, but just by opening those doors we got that kid stabbed. Man, that's one thing I will regret for life. If anything, we should pay him back for that." Ken said. (**A/N**: See Gokusen 2 AU: Lost and Found Chapter 25 The Club)

"I know, man but what to do. Anyway, do you have everything ready?" Minata asked, looking around him.

Ken felt his back and then looked around. "I left the bag in the bathroom just now. I'll be right back."

"Are you trying to get us caught? If anyone finds that bag, we're toast. Make it quick, and don't you dare run away." Minata warned him. They parted as Minata headed upstairs and Ken headed downstairs. Uchi pressed closer to Imani and moved both of them deeper in the shadows as they heard Ken running down the stairs.

Imani whispered to him. "I need to stop that guy. Can you follow him to the bathroom and bring him to me?" Uchi nodded and then flinched and looked at Imani as he felt some strange sensation. It wasn't until then that he realized how close they truly were.

Imani tried not to laugh as Uchi flinched again at the vibration he felt. When they were sure that Ken had left the stairwell, they separated and then Imani picked up her phone. Uchi sighed relieved that they had parted. She nodded to Uchi to go after Ken as she left the stair well and talked on the phone.

"Tsuchi, yeah. It's him. I just overhead him talking to another one. Look, gather Odagiri and the rest of the guys and meet Uchi in the bathroom. He is going to pick up a package for me and may need some help. Thanks. Oh, don't knock him out. I need him to talk." She replied feeling anxious for the first time that day.

So, even the maiden of honor is guilty of uttering ill-fated words that have a way of coming back to haunt them in the end. She and others would soon find out that she was incorrect. The hardest part was not over for them, nor would they be able to sit back and enjoy the reception. Imani and others would find out that the omiai challenge was just the precursor to other fights that were to come, among them being trying to keep Yankumi oblivious of the other fights that were happening around the wedding reception so that she could enjoy her reception.

* * *

(**A/N**) So, that was the first of a series of fights, and to quote the boss, you ain't seen nothing yet. I had thought to stop when Uchi tapped her on the shoulder, but I needed a lead-in for the next chapter. Actually, the beginning of this chapter to the part where they took pictures was also supposed to be a part of the previous chapter, but I didn't want to make the chapters too long. Although I finally gave in on making the chapters longer, I refused to make this one that long. The next few chapters will be long enough as it is. The title for this chapter is a play on words and stems from the 30 unwanted guests that they are about to receive for the reception.


	18. Ch18: Unwelcome Reception II

**Disclaimer**:I'm still borrowing characters from **Growing Up Yakuza** by BlackJack7 and of course from Morimoto's Gokusen. This is all for fun, not for profit.

**RECAP:** Imani successfully completed the omiai challenge in place of Shin, they passed it off as a play to the rest of the guests, the wedding finished without further disturbance, and the reception got under way. But a blast from the past arrived and Imani and Uchi went to investigate.

* * *

**Chapter 18 Unwelcome Reception Part II**

Imani ran up the two flights of stairs quickly and quietly. She opened the stairwell cautiously and caught sight of the 29 young men spread out in front of and around the Imperial Ballroom. They were dressed like waiters for the reception but in all black. She recognized most of them and then wondered. _I understand why they are here, but why are they two floors up?_ She quietly closed the door and ran back downstairs.

While she was doing that, Tsuchi had texted Odagiri and the others and asked them to meet him outside. They all looked somber and nodded. Yankumi and Shin were making their rounds to all of the tables to greet their guests and were preoccupied, but Shin noticed as did Kyou that not only had they all left at once but a certain maiden of honor had not returned either. Shin took part in the conversations making sure that Yankumi wouldn't notice.

Kyou nudged his boss and whispered in his ear. His boss looked stern and then nodded and held up one finger.

Meanwhile, Uchi had gone into the bathroom and looked around to find Ken. Ken had hurried into a stall and was coming out when Uchi, pretending to wash his hands turned from the sink, bumped into Ken, and spilt water all over him.

"Hey, watch where you're going." Ken shouted.

"Man, I am so sorry. Here, let me get that for you." Uchi told Ken as he reached for some paper towels and tried to wipe off Ken.

Ken shoved Uchi's hands away. "What the hell man? I can do that. Get off of me. What are you some kind of pervert or something?"

Uchi just smiled at him as Ken looked down to wipe off his clothes. While he was distracted, Uchi moved quickly to put him in a headlock. "No, I'm not a pervert. I'm just a delivery guy. I have a pretty young lady that would like to meet with you and ask you a couple of questions. So, come quietly, and you won't get hurt."

Ken was shocked at first but then came to his senses. "I don't think so." He stomped on Uchi's feet and then head butt him with the back of his head causing Uchi to fall backwards into a stall door and his nose to bleed, but Uchi didn't release him. Ken drug the both of them forward and then turned, knocking Uchi into the sink. When Uchi still wouldn't release him, Ken ran toward the wall with Uchi still entangled with him and turned at the last minute throwing Uchi off balance and pushing him into the side wall. Uchi still had him, but had loosened his grip on him. Ken bit Uchi's exposed wrist that was enclosed around his neck, and Uchi finally released him. Ken turned around poised to fight Uchi who had fallen against the wall, when the door opened and the five from Kurogin 3D came in and grabbed Ken.

"Dude, what's taking so long? Don't you know it's impolite to keep a lady waiting?" Tsuchi smirked at Uchi who was in the process of getting up.

Odagiri went over to help Uchi up and hand him a paper towel for his nosebleed. Uchi took his hand and jumped up. "Don't tell me. Tell him." Uchi pointed at Ken. "He's the one that refused to accept my gracious invitation to join me and a certain young lady for a chat, which reminds me I owe you something." Uchi went over to Ken, got in front of him and then head butt him in the nose.

Ken was furious. "Yo, man what the hell is this? Who are you guys? What's going on, and what do you want with me? I wasn't doing nuthin' to nobody. I was minding my own business when this pervert splashed me with water, tried to clean me off, and then put me in a headlock."

"Oi, how many times do I have to tell you I'M NOT A PERVERT?" Uchi started off calm and ended in a yell, and elbowed Ken in the abdomen.

Tsuchi waited for Ken to recover and then got in front of his face, and pointed to himself. "You want to know what this is about, do you? Remember me?"

Ken looked at him and frowned, and then he flashed back to that night at the club. The guy's hair was longer and no longer had blonde highlights, but it was the same guy. He put his head down and exhaled, relieved. "So you did recover after all?" Ken then looked up at him smiling. "Thank god. When they didn't charge us with accessory to murder, I figured you had made it, but I didn't know if you were paralyzed or a vegetable or what. Thank goodness you are alive and well." He jacked away from Yabuki and Hyuga who were holding him. "You can let me go now. I understand. I won't run."

They looked at each other questioningly. Tsuchi looked into Ken's eyes and nodded. When they released him, Ken kneeled with his hands and head on the floor. "I'm … I'm sorry. I really didn't want. I really didn't think that you would be hurt or anything like that would happen."

Tsuchi nodded and held out his hand. "It's okay. It's all good now."

"How can it be? You almost died. How can I make this up to you? How can I make this right?" Ken asked.

"By coming with us and having a chat with a certain young lady. You can explain what you are doing here." Tsuchi replied.

"Yeah, and tell us where your other 29 friends are and what they are planning." Uchi chimed in.

The other five turned to look at Uchi surprised. "29?" Odagiri asked.

"Friends?" Takeda swallowed.

"I don't know what's going on, but 29 against the six of us. There's no way." Hyuga responded.

"You mean seven." Uchi replied, thinking of Imani.

"Oh, I'm sure we could get at least get seven more. That will just about make us even." They all turned to the door to see a man with a scar over his eye walk in.

"Kyou san?" Odagiri asked in surprise.

"I wondered where you boys were running off to go play. No fair. If I gotta stay for the rest of the sissy events, uh, I mean, the wedding festivities, so do you little punks." Kyou smiled.

"Eh Kyou san, just now we caught this guy. He was at the club that night, and there are 29 others here as well." Tsuchi told him.

Kyou nodded his head. "I know. I recognize this little prick from that night. I won't ever forget that night or any of those little brats. But also, I ran into the Little Raven outside, and she told me everything. She was worried that you guys were taking so long and was just about to come in here herself. Fortunately I ran into her in time. She was saying why couldn't the six of you handle one little punk and how she always has to do everything herself." Kyou chuckled, having made that last part up. They all came out of the bathroom and met with Imani at that point.

* * *

Back in the reception, both Shin and Kuroda were checking their watches wondering what was taking everyone so long. They looked up and looked at each other and nodded. Yankumi was still busy greeting everyone. They had arrived at the table where Uma-No-O was recovering and awakening from his encounter with Imani. He smiled at Yankumi. "Congratulations, you finally found someone stronger than you to protect you." He shook Shin's hand.

"You, you son of a …" Yankumi began and had him by the collar until Shin put his arm around Yankumi's waist and interrupted her.

"Kumiko, that is no way to greet a guest at our wedding **in front of everyone**. Mother and Father would be displeased if you were to fail to thank our special guest properly for participating in the surprise play." Shin smiled informing Yankumi of what his parents had told him earlier.

Yankumi and Uma-No-O turned to him surprised. "Play?" They said simultaneously.

"Yes, at least that is what my mother and Kekkon sama agreed that it was and was congratulated by all of our foreign guests for such a novel idea." Shin continued.

"Play, what the hell kind of crap is that, and who the hell is stupid enough to believe something so ridiculous?" Yankumi spoke in gangster tone.

"Oh, look, there they are together. Let's get a picture." One of the European wives came over to the table. "Dear, your play was fabulous. Everyone is talking about it. Can we have a picture with you, your husband and the friend of your family, the villain of the omiai challenge?" The lady took out her camera.

"Oh, Helene, wait for me. That's a good idea. Why don't you, the challenger, and the husband look at each other threateningly and pretend to fight over the bride?" Another lady asked.

Shin smiled at the lady and then glared at the other man and held Yankumi really close to him protectively, while the blonde man glared at Shin threateningly and looked as if he was going to pull something out of his pocket. Yankumi looked between them worried.

"Oh, that's perfect. Isabella, dear, come get this picture." Helene called to yet a third lady.

They stayed posed in that manner while quite a few people took pictures. Although the three managed to smile, it was obvious in their eyes that their posed mannerisms expressed their real emotions.

"It's a shame that the other little one can't be here to be in the picture. Where is she anyway?" One of the other women remarked, looking around.

"In the bathroom." Shin answered hurriedly. "Perhaps we can all get one together later on."

When the ladies finally left, Yankumi bent down close to Uma-No-O who had returned to his seat. "I'll get you for this, but first you better make sure to apologize to my little sister." She stood up and smiled.

"Yes, whatever you want me to do. I'll do it right away." He replied and looked around. "As soon as she returns from the bathroom."

Yankumi looked around also and didn't see Imani. She frowned and looked at Shin. "Shin, hasn't been a while since Imani went to the bathroom?"

Shin was ready. "It's not like I keep track of her bathroom habits or time her or anythin." He looked around. "Her boyfriend isn't here either. They probably snuck out to have a little private time to themselves." He then brushed across the nape of her neck and whispered. "I can't wait to get out of here and have some of that with you myself."

Yankumi's stomach did flip flops and her knees melted. "Shiiin, not here." She giggled, and he briskly led her to the next table where there were older Diet members who he knew were long-winded and had plenty of advice to share. He knew that they would hold Yankumi's attention for some time providing the new couple with all of their many years of sage advice. He was hoping he would give Imani and the others enough time to get back before Yankumi got suspicious.

* * *

At that point, Imani and the others had been filled in by Ken as to their plans and what would happen next. Imani shook her head. "But, I don't understand. There is only supposed to be one wedding here today. How did you guys get confused and end up two floors up?"

Ken shrugged, and it was at that point that Ken received a text. He read it and then looked up at them. "It's time."

Imani nodded. "Okay, I don't know who's wedding you are about to ruin, but I still won't allow it. Ken, go ahead and meet your guys and proceed with your plans. Uchi, contact Noda, Minami, and Kuma and tell them to meet you on the fifth floor. When they arrive, lead them to the sixth floor up that stairway. Uncle, could you please round up a few men and have them meet us there, also?"

Kyou smirked. "Already on it Little Raven." He checked his text messages. "I'll follow you guys, and the others will meet the Shirokin kids on the fifth floor."

"Thank you, Uncle. Tsuchi, Odagiri, and the rest of you guys are with me and Uncle. We will follow Ken, but not too closely. We also won't be too far. So, don't try to alert your people." Imani warned Ken.

"Got it." Ken agreed. They all left to go their separate ways.

Ken went into the stairs and donned his ninja outfit and snuck stealthily up the stairs. Imani saw him quickly move and followed him. The others followed her. When she got to the sixth floor, she carefully opened the door and looked around. She saw Ken signaling her to retreat, and then she had a sudden thought. She told everyone to go back down the stairs and to the fifth floor. Then they rode the elevator to the sixth floor.

Tsuchi and the others were shocked. "What are we doing?" Tsuchi asked worried.

"We are going to attend this other wedding." Imani replied.

"I don't understand. If we walk right in, then they will see us." Odagiri shook his head confused.

"Right, they are supposed to see us." Imani answered.

"But won't they get suspicious if they see us?" Takeda asked.

"No, they will get suspicious if they don't see us. We are supposed to be at this wedding. If they go in and don't see anyone they know, they will be suspicious and go look for the real wedding." Imani explained as the elevator doors opened.

"Oh, right." They all nodded.

"But, are we really going to let them interrupt the wedding? Can't we just call the police or security and let them take care of these guys before anyone gets hurt?" Hyuga asked.

Imani shook her head. "There is someone behind this. We need to find out who it is. If he went through this much trouble to get his revenge, then he probably has a backup plan in case this doesn't work. Even though we don't know who or what else they are planning, we have surprise on our side because he doesn't know that anyone suspects anything and is looking out for trouble."

They all nodded in response. As Imani was speaking, Shin and Yankumi were greeting the very person who was responsible for the 30 uninvited guests attending the wrong wedding. He greeted them warmly. "You definitely take after the family. I'm grateful that you allowed me to make a toast at your very special occasion." He bowed his head.

"No, we thank you for your words of wisdom and for coming here to help us celebrate." Yankumi bowed her head to him and smiled. They moved to the next table. "What a nice older gentleman." She remarked. "Did he say if he was from my side or your side?" She tried to recall.

Shin shrugged. "Who knows? Who cares? We still have almost half of the guests to greet and thank for attending." He hustled her to the next table, looking around noting that now all of the groom's men were absent and more of the kumi had absconded. I hope they have enough time for whatever they are doing.

"I have an idea." Imani told them. She whispered to all of them and then remarked out loud. "I'm going to the bathroom. Let me know when the wedding starts if I'm not back in time." Tsuchi nodded as she kissed him on the cheek.

The thirty men spread out around the door and dressed in all black took note of Imani. Ken frowned confused, wondering why she had appeared in front of everyone. Imani opened the door and headed into the bathroom as far as the 30 men noted from their vantage point. In reality, she had Tsuchi block the door from their view and Odagiri on the other side and she had snuck in front of them out of everyone's view. Tsuchi and Odagiri covered Imani and walked her to a corner where she could hide and see the 30 young men.

"Hey, wasn't that her just now? Why don't we just take her when she comes out of the bathroom? She won't be expecting that." Nino asked Hiroto.

"Because, even though we are here to get back at her, the big man wants us to ruin the wedding. We satisfy the man who is paying us first, and then we can get our revenge. Don't lose sight of the big picture." Ken responded. "That's how we ended up here now. Junpei lost sight of the goal and forgot what was most important. I don't intend to return to jail for the same reason." The others nodded in agreement. "Anyway, shouldn't you alert Eksuh san that we are in place?" Hiroto nodded and texted their boss.

Tsuchi and Odagiri were standing at the corner talking jovially. Yabuki, Takeda, Kyou, and Hyuga had gone into the auditorium through another entrance and were shocked to see that it looked less like a wedding and more like an anime convention. Yabuki frowned. "Wait a minute, doesn't this room remind you of downstairs this morning?"

Takeda looked around. "Yeah."

"Then that means." Hyuga never had a chance to finish because at that moment the skit producer had arrived in front of the ballroom entrance, saw the thirty men and indicated for the wedding to begin.

"What are you guys doing out here? It's about time you arrived. We've been waiting for you in the back. Finally, now the wedding can start. Now don't forget. You will enter when he asks if there is any reason why the two can't get married. That will be the first thing he asks during the wedding ceremony, so make sure you guys are ready." The producer instructed them.

Hiroto and Shingou looked at each other and the man shocked. "Is it really okay to be talking about this in the open? I mean what if someone finds out about the plans." Hiroto asked.

"Well, it's too late now. You guys held us up so long that we needed to get started. Even if they are not surprised we will still complete our mission as planned." The producer responded. "Hurry up and finish getting dressed. You all are supposed to be ninjas. Put on your masks already, and I'll tell them to start the wedding." He talked into his radio and relayed the message. "Yes, the ninjas are here. Please start the wedding."

They all looked at each other confused. "Man, I knew he had someone on the inside, but that's really inside." Shingou discussed with Keisuke.

"Man, you ain't lying. I didn't know he had it like that. Anyway, let's just get this over with." Keisuke nodded. They begin to file into the room stealthily barely noticeable by anyone except for the producer and the members of the other wedding that were waiting for them.

When all thirty of the men had entered into the ballroom, Imani, Tsuchi, and Odagiri snuck up to the door. Imani instructed Odagiri. "We'll go in now. You wait behind for Uchi and the others. They should be here soon." Imani took out a clip again and tied up her dress and clipped it in the back. Odagiri nodded looking around as Tsuchi stared at Imani, curious. "Just come on." She grabbed Tsuchi by the arm and led him in.

At that point, Uchi had met the rest of Shirokin 3D sans Shin and filled them in. "Seriously, what is up with that chick and kidnappers, stalkers, hostage takers, and now wedding crashers?" Noda asked.

"Shut up." Uchi hit Noda on the head. "This is not her fault. That Ken guy said they were hired to crash Yankumi's wedding. Half of them are here to get revenge on Yankumi, and the other half are here to get revenge on Imani. So, it's not all her fault. Let's hurry up. They are waiting for us upstairs. We have to take the stairs. Oh yeah, Kuma, wait for the kumi and have them meet us up the stairs. Fill them in."

"Not necessary, we already heard. What are you slowpokes waiting for?" Wakamatsu opened the stairs and motioned for them to come.

Meanwhile, the three otaku who had taken pictures of Imani the day before at the entrance and in her room had just rounded the corner. "Hey did you see that?" The one with the glasses asked.

"Yeah, that was Gaijin sensei and Fanboy." The other one answered.

"Yeah, and did you see what she was wearing. It was a white dress." The third one replied.

"It's just like you said. You were right. She would look good in white." The first one imagined.

"Yeah, but in my fantasy she has a hooded cape to match." The second one also imagined.

"Hey, let's go see what's going on. I told you that she would be a part of the grand finale." The third one motioned.

"Yeah, we should get some real good footage." The first one took out his cell phone.

"You don't think her father, the lawyer guy is around and will confiscate our phones again, do you?" The second one asked.

"Man, who cares? Let's just go or we'll miss all the action." He replied. With that, they also snuck in the back.

* * *

Back in the reception Kenazawa sensei sneezed. He thought it odd. He went over to Shin and Yankumi to ask if they had seen his daughter.

Yankumi looked around and then thought. "Now that you mention it, I haven't seen her in a while. I think she went to the bathroom and hasn't come back." Yankumi frowned and then smiled. "That's right. Tsuchi isn't here either. I think they may have snuck off somewhere together."

"I wonder. It seems that none of his fellow classmates are around either." Kenazawa grew increasingly worried.

Shin noted and interceded. "Don't worry, Uncle. She's a grown woman. You don't need to keep such close tabs on her. I mean really. She's not a baby. You might as well have her wired or something."

Kenazawa glanced at Shin's eyes as he looked toward Yankumi. Her father nodded and then smiled. "You're right. I didn't mean to worry you. She's fine. I'm just being an overprotective father after what happened in her room yesterday. I'm not worried about her physically. I just don't want her to lose her innocence. Excuse me. By the way, you made a lovely bride. Can I get a picture of you two together?"

Yankumi nodded and smiled, forgetting any concern she had previously held. After taking the picture, he asked. "Can I get one with the bride?" He gave his camera to Shin, who took the picture. "How about the three of us together?" He asked another person near them to take the picture, and then he left and sent a message to the Kens.

* * *

Just as the three otaku had entered the ballroom, the door to the stairwell opened with Uchi and the rest coming in. Odagiri hurried over to them. "It's about to begin. Everyone is already in there." They snuck in just as the minister was asking if there was any reason why the two shouldn't be married.

"Yes, there are 30 reasons that you shouldn't get married." The 30 guys spread out and were moving forward.

"Halt! Not so fast. Did the White Knight send you here?" A man dressed in a futuristic knight costume asked, holding up his hand.

The 30 guys stopped and looked at each other confused and shrugged. "If you mean our boss, then yeah he sent us here." Shingou replied.

Then, about ten men, including the one who had spoken first, pulled out blades, swords, and futuristic sharp fighting utensils, and stood in front of the wedding party. "We will not allow you to take the princess."

"Yeah, well it will take more than the ten of you to stop us from getting to her. We owe her big." Keisuke spoke up.

That's when Imani spoke up. "Then, what if we join in and help out?" She strode up to Shingou and Keisuke.

The skit producer and the ten knights looked at each other and shrugged.

"You. I've been waiting to get my hands on you for two years. If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have been locked up, and my brother Junpei, wouldn't still be locked up." Hiroto headed toward Imani.

"No, your brother is right where he belongs. If it hadn't been for him, I would have never been stabbed." Tsuchi was seething and was in Hiroto's face. Imani drug Tsuchi back by the arm.

"Well, if your girlfriend hadn't seduced him, then he wouldn't have deviated from our plan and gone after her." Hiroto responded.

"Enough!" Shingou held up his hand. "We've got a job to do, and I intend to complete it."

Imani smirked. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

"Yeah, well, you just try and stop us." Hiroto hissed.

"Don't mind if I do, and by the way, send my regards to Junpei when you return to see him." Imani got into a fighting stance in front of Tsuchi.

"Why you, …" Hiroto and Keisuke charged at Imani.

Imani shouted instructions. "Tsuchi, Volume 2, Chapter 18."

"Got it." Tsuchi responded and lifted up Imani under the underarms as she kicked two of the guys in the face, knocking them out. He then tossed her in the air and shot a quick right hook and left cross to take out two more guys as he caught her in his arms. This time he held her under her underarms as they spun 360 and she swung her feet into five of the guys delivering a kick in the abdomen to all of them. Tsuchi set Imani on her feet and then bent down so Imani could roll over his back and deliver a kick to one guy who had snuck up behind Tsuchi to his left and then pushed off of him and flipped to his other side to deliver another kick behind him to his right. Tsuchi stood up just in time to deliver a quick right to the guy charging at him.

Kyou was chuckling and enjoyed watching the fight, but then he remarked. "I don't know about you guys, but I didn't ditch Ojou's wedding to simply watch the action. We can't let the Little Raven have all the fun." With that Kyou cracked his neck to both sides, then cracked his knuckles, and got into the fray. He grabbed up two of the guys and knocked their heads together. Sugawara, Minoru, and Wakamatsu followed suit as punches were thrown left and right

Uchi smiled at Noda and Minami. "Like old times." He held his fist up horizontally.

Noda bumped fists with Uchi and then Minami. "Oh, yeah." They went over to the group and Uchi delivered a kick and a stomp to one of the other guys charging toward them. Kuma followed suit diving onto some of the guys who had recovered and were about to get up and get back in the fight.

Odagiri looked at Yabuki. "Guys, is Kurogin 3D going to let the sempais have all the fun?"

"Hell no!" Yabuki smiled and led the charge swinging with his fists. Odagiri ducked as one guy launched toward him, and then landed a punch in the guy's solar plexus.

The knights still in awe looked at the producer. He shrugged. "What are you guys waiting for get in there? This is what you are getting paid to do. Go, go go! We're filming this, remember?"

The lead knight held up his sword. "My fellow knights, I know not who these brave knights are who have chosen to help us in our battle against the white knight, but we shall not let our fellow brethren and fair maiden fight this battle alone. To the battle!" He pointed his sword toward the melee and charged. The other nine held up their swords and responded with a battle cry. "Defeat the White Knight's forces!" They ran to join the fight also.

Imani and Tsuchi having taken out the first twelve had ceased fighting and began taking out the guys who were no longer conscious and were tying them up. Imani and Tsuchi were watching the fight when Imani noticed Minoru. He had just knocked out one guy with a right punch and was shaking his injured hand. At that point, another of the ninjas was sneaking up behind him. "Minoru!" Imani cried out to warn him, but the guy was hit by something in the side of the face and passed out before any of them knew what happened. That something flew in front of Imani's face and then into Tsuchi's hand as he caught it. She realized that Tsuchi had flung a paper fan at the guy and caught it like a boomerang.

"Well done." Imani complimented him. "I see you have been practicing." Tsuchi bowed and smiled. Five minutes later, the fight ended with 29 of the ninjas tied up and partially conscious and the motley crew of wedding attendees mixed in with otaku and anime convention applauding them.

The producer came over to Imani and Tsuchi. "That was excellent. I had no idea that Fan boy and Gaijin sensei were going to have a guest appearance in the final volume of Knights of Teledara: The Dark Planet, nor did I have any idea you would put in an appearance at this convention. The director said that he had a few surprises planned and didn't want to spoil it by telling everyone, but I didn't think that he would hire ten extra men and include characters from a rival publisher. But whatever, it worked. That is why he is called the genius director I guess."

The other knights came up to them to congratulate them as well. "That was great acting. You guys seemed so realistic with your banter." The lead knight said.

"That fighting sequence was well-rehearsed. I'd love to work with you guys any time. To be honest, I was worried that we hadn't had a chance to choreograph the fighting sequence enough, but you guys made it look easy." Another knight complimented them.

The producer shook Tsuchi's hand vigorously and pat him on the back. Tsuchi looked at Imani and shrugged. "Uhm, thank you."

"Knights, back to your places. We still have a wedding to finish." The producer instructed them. They all nodded and left. "So, will you be at the next convention as well?" He asked Tsuchi.

"That. I don't know." Tsuchi answered.

"Well, I certainly could use you guys in the future. Who is your agent? Let us know, and we will hire you guys to perform this same show at the next convention." The producer smiled.

"Wait a minute." Imani thought. "Are you saying that a ninja invasion at the wedding was all an act for the anime convention?"

He frowned at Imani confused. "Yes, it was our grand finale for the convention but it also paralleled the final volume in the series. Seriously, would anyone really hire Ninjas to ruin a wedding? Ha ha, that is so cliché. Don't tell me you thought those ninjas were for real? Just look at the wedding party."

They all stared at the bride's maids dresses recognizing some of them instantly. Noda came over and placed his arm around Imani. "Looks like someone stole your dress." He looked at the bride's maid up and down. "Not bad. She wears it rather well. You should go over there and kick her butt for taking your dress and wearing it so well." Noda chuckled.

"Imani, don't listen to him." Tsuchi stated. "You looked ten times better in it." He smiled and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"You two." Imani rolled her eyes at both of them and then recalled. "Wait, so that's why the dresses this morning were … were so interesting. They were delivered to the wrong wedding." She turned to the producer.

Just then a tall thin man with short, spiky hair, thick glasses, and wearing a kimono approached them. He shook Tsuchi's hand. "I recognize you. You are the mangaka behind Fan boy and Gaijin sensei. I love your work. It's original. I didn't realize you based the hero's looks on you."

"Uhm, thank you. You're ?" Tsuchi shook the man's hand puzzled.

"Oh, I am the mangaka for this one, Knights of Teledara: The Dark Planet, and I was ending it because I couldn't think of anything else creative to write. Although the ending was what the readers wanted to see, I still thought it lacked something. But this performance just now, that's exactly what it needed. Here's my card. Why don't you have your editor give me a call so we can talk about collaborating on a special cross-over manga volume? Your surprise appearance today has given me so many ideas." He handed Tsuchi his card.

Tsuchi took it and exchanged cards with the man and bowed to him. "Thanks, I will."

"Tsuchi, we better get back before Miko notices that we are gone." Imani whispered to him and then said out loud. "Excuse us. It was nice to meet you. We have to leave for another engagement that we have." Imani bowed.

"Gaijin sensei? It is a pleasure to meet you also. It's amazing that they found someone to look just like the character. I must say that you are much prettier in person, though. I am also getting inspiration from looking at you. Please, I would love to collaborate with you as well." He smiled and kissed her hand. Then he took out a business card and placed it in her hand, but he kept holding her hand with both of his.

Tsuchi's smile faded as he took her hand back from the other gentleman. "Well, as she said we really must be going, but I will have my editor call you." He took Imani's hand and left.

Imani gathered everyone together. "Guys, we better get back before we have a huge problem on our hands. I'm sure that some have noticed our absences."

"Eh Imani, it seems that you already have a huge problem. Noda may have been teasing you earlier, but you may want to seriously go change into something else or at least get that other dress back. If you go in to the reception like that, you may panic the bride." Uchi looked down at her as did the others.

Imani took her dress down and looked at it. It had smudge marks all over it and was partially ripped and torn in many places. Imani sighed. "Great, this is the second dress I have ruined at this wedding, and I have only worn this one once."

Just then, the three otaku came up to her. "Uh, Gaijin sensei, if you would like, could you please w-wear th-this?" They bowed to her and handed her a satin white object wrapped in tissue paper and tied with a bow.

She took it and bowed in return. She opened it. It was a white satin cape with a hood. She tried it on. "This is lovely. I really appreciate it. How can I thank you?"

"A p-picture." One of them quickly responded and held up his camera phone.

The one with glasses elbowed him in the ribs and glared at him. "No, that's not necessary. You wearing it is enough. We never thought we would get to meet the real live version of Gaijin sensei, but we thought that you would look great in white. So I prepared this to send to your company for you. I never thought I would meet you, let alone give this to you, or get to see you wear it." He bowed again.

Imani gave them a heart-warming smile. "Well then, I would be glad to take a picture."

They took out their camera phones and waited for her to pose. She shook her head. "Let's do it this way." She took their phones and gave them to three of the guys. She then grabbed their arms and posed with them, putting her arms around their waists. They all stared at her and then looked at the camera and held up the peace sign with big grins. Imani just laughed as the pictures were snapped.

Then one of them asked her. "How about a picture of you with Fan boy?"

Imani shrugged. "Sure, why not? Tsuchi?" He nodded. They posed with their backs to each other, with serious looks on their faces and poised to fight.

"How about one of you by yourself?" Yabuki asked. Imani glared at him, but the three otaku nodded enthusiastically so she sighed and acquiesced. She posed in a fighting stance with an intense look on her face.

"Okay, now how about one with you licking your lips and with your leg exposed." Noda snickered.

"Oh, that is it." Imani scoffed. She walked over to Noda and put her finger in his face. "You see. I still haven't forgotten about what you did last night. Keep on adding to your punishment and…" Imani's phone ring before she had a chance to complete her threat. "Hello." She looked at the others. "Excuse me." She excused herself and went to a corner alone. "Upstairs, as if you didn't already know." She listened. "Well, we had to make a surprise appearance at the anime convention." She listened again and then had a panicked expression. "How many did you say?" She then nodded. "I understand." She ran back into the ballroom to talk to the producer, then Ken, and finally ran back to talk to them. "Guys, we gotta go now, or it's going to be bad. I'll explain on the way down." She turned back to the three guys. "Thank you again for the cape. Leave your information with the producer, and I will make sure that you get professional signed copies of the pictures, okay?" She smiled.

They all nodded. Imani headed toward the elevator.

* * *

In the Ballroom A Few Minutes Earlier

Shin and Yankumi were heading to the last table, and Shin was worrying because there was still no sign of the missing wedding party members, Kurogin 3D, and some of the kumi. He was trying to figure out how he was going to distract Yankumi from noticing as they finished greeting the people. Yankumi looked around.

"Hey, where's Mani? Hasn't she had enough private time with her boyfriend? Doesn't she know we still have more things to do? Kekkon sama will be furious, and I don't feel like trying to calm that woman down." Yankumi looked at her watch and then looked around. "Huh? Where are the rest of Kurogin 3D?"

Shin answered easily. "They probably noticed the two missing and went to hassle them."

"Then were are Shirokin 3D? We need them here for the toast and the dancing and everything else." Yankumi was getting flustered.

"Who knows with those guys? They are probably preparing some stupid surprise for us or practicing their toast." Shin replied bored.

Yankumi looked over at her grandfather. "Wait, where is the kumi?" She then remembered what happened on Monday when they had went out to prepare a surprise for her. "Wait a minute, the kumi is gone, Shirokin 3D is gone, Kurogin 3D is gone, and Imani is gone. Something is really fishy."

At that moment, a door opened as someone came in and Shin caught the faint trace of a black object moving by from the corner of his eye. He looked around and saw that Kenazawa and Kuroda had both noticed. Fortunatley, Yankumi had her back to the door at that moment and hadn't noticed. Kenazawa quickly head outside and nodded at Shin.

Shin thought quickly of a way to distract Yankumi. He turned her face to his. "Kumiko, why are you worrying about what everyone else is doing on our wedding day and where everyone else is at? I'm here and so are you, and we are the most important attendees at the wedding today. I'm more interested in what we will be doing later when we are alone." He kissed her on the cheek, and she melted. "Now, don't we have a few more guests to meet and thank?"

Yankumi was distracted by the kiss and just stared at Shin momentarily. He cleared his throat. "Huh, what?" She asked.

"I said is there anyone else that we have not yet thanked." Shin asked pleased that his strategy had worked.

"Oh, yeah. OHHHHH! There is one person. You have to meet my childhood friend Yoshiro and thank him for singing at the wedding." Yankumi exclaimed excitedly and then quickly drug Shin to where the band was. Yankumi smiled. "Yoshiro kun," she grabbed his hand. "I'd like you to meet my husband, Sawada Shin. Shin this is my childhood friend and best friend, Yoshiro kun."

Yoshiro locked glances with Shin. "Sawada San. Its Kashu, Kashu Yoshiro actually, and congratulations." Yoshiro smiled at him and held out his hand.

"Thank you Kashu san." Shin took his hand and shook it firmly.

* * *

(**A/N**) Let me stop it at that. So, three fights down, more to come. Not all of the fights will be physical. For any of you who had read the story Gokusen 2 Lost and Found and are familiar with the character Imani, notice that she is relying a lot more on the guys now. Before, she would do everything herself and figure out everything on her own. Now she is actually asking for help even when she can do things herself. I wanted to provide the growth of her character in this story. Even though I wanted a big fight scene, I didn't want it to last too long or overpower the fact that a wedding is still taking place. That is one reason why I tried to split up the fight scenes into several chapters and coordinate them around the wedding reception. Sorry it took so long, but I have had troubles with my next chapter and worked on that one first. Please enjoy.


	19. Ch 19: Unwelcome Reception Pt 3

**Chapter 19 Unwelcome Reception Pt. 3**

**Recap**: In case you forgot, Imani, the kumi, Shirokin and Kurogin 3D all joined forces and crashed a staged anime wedding to battle some of Kudoh and Junpei's men who had tried to kidnap Imani at the club and resulted in Tsuchi's scar while Shin kept Yankumi preoccupied by meeting and greeting all the guests. Imani and the others were summoned to return to the reception quickly to help with some extra special guests.

* * *

Five minutes earlier at the front desk, 20 men dressed in all black arrived. The lady looked up surprised. "Good afternoon, welcome to our hotel. How may I help you today?" The young lady bowed and smiled.

"We are here for the big event today in the ballroom." The lead guy said.

"Which ballroom? We have 18 ballrooms." The lady asked.

The young man cringed. "Well how many of them have big events today?"

"Ten of them." She smiled.

"Uh, just a moment." He turned to the other guys. "Hey, do you guys have the information? Do you remember the name of the ballroom or who we are supposed to contact?"

They all looked around. "No, we left that information in the other van."

"Why didn't you make sure to bring it with you?" The first guy asked.

"Hey, if your old van hadn't broken down, we wouldn't have been in such a hurry to get here that we left the information."

"Well, if you hadn't insisted on going to that out of the way place to eat, it wouldn't have broken down."

"Oi, we are already, late. Let's just get to our job assuming that we still have one." A third guy spoke up.

"Fine!" The first two spoke together. "Do you have the information we need?"

"All I know is that we are supposed to crash some wedding." The third guy said.

"That's right." The driver turned to the young lady. "Which ballroom has the wedding?"

"That would be the Emperor's Ballroom." The young lady said. She took out a booklet containing a map of the hotel. "It is on the 4th floor. You need to take the far elevators to your left. When you get off, you need to follow this path." She showed them the floor plans and marked the path on the booklet.

"Thank you." They bowed to the lady, turned around and left. "Oh do you know if it already began?" He turned back to ask.

She checked the schedule. "It looks like it started at 4:15 p.m." She responded.

"Let's hurry guys. We have no time to practice." All twenty men ran through the hotel to the elevator followed by another man that had listened to the conversation eagerly.

**

* * *

**

Three Minutes later in a corner outside the ball room

Kenazawa sensei had hurried out of the ballroom on seeing one of them and assessed the situation. He then called his daughter. "Sweetheart, you've been gone for a while now. Where are you?"

I'm upstairs, as if you didn't already know." Imani answered.

"Yes, well we have a situation down here. It seems that there are 20 additional guests in all black that were unanticipated, and you know how both Kekkon sama and Kumiko stress about these types of unforeseen occurrences." Her father told her in code.

"Did you say, twenty?" Imani asked.

"Yes. Do you know anything about it?" Her father asked.

"Yes, and it is not what you think it is, but if I don't hurry and get there, it will be bad. Please keep me posted and don't let anyone harm them. I'll be right down with everyone else." Imani told her father.

"Of course, but will you answer one question for Daddy?" Her father asked in the sweetest tone.

"Hm." Imani responded. "If it is quick."

"Just what were you doing on the sixth floor with the kumi and everyone else?" Her dad asked trying not to show the anxiety he felt.

"I ran into some old friends from the nightclub and had a chat with them about old times. That is all, but I really must hurry Daddy. I'll see you shortly and explain later." Imani hung up and rounded everyone up.

"I see. She is avoiding the question, which means that she was in danger and doesn't want to let me know. She seems to be reverting to her former self. I guess I will have to have a chat with that boyfriend of hers." Kenazawa sensei spoke out loud.

"Sir, she promised to explain later. At least give her the benefit of the doubt and think of the situation." A man in a black suit with dark glasses and a wire connected to an earpiece in his ear came out of the shadows to speak.

"Yes, you are right Ken." Kenazawa sensei nodded. "Well, let's do as she asked." They followed the twenty men who were trying to slip into the wedding unnoticed.

Inside the Ballroom, another battle was beginning, though not physical.

"Sawada san, congratulations on your wedding. It's amazing that someone so young as you managed to snag _our_ Kumichou." Yoshiro san mentioned.

"Thank you, but please call me Shin, Kashu sempai." Shin smiled. "After all, you are my senior. Let's dispense with all the formalities." Shin quipped about the age difference.

"Yes, let's dispense with formalities. Yoshiro kun is fine. After all, since you are _our_ Kumichou's husband, I should defer to you as the husband." Yoshiro smirked.

Shin slightly winced at the possessive tone Yoshiro purposely used when referring to Yankumi. "Yoshi kun, is it?" Shin replied.

"No, that would be that little dragon from the video game. Please, do not confuse the two." Yoshiro smarted from the intended misuse of his name.

"Oh, I don't know. I think that character suits you well. It is a small animal, but when it opens its mouth it can produce a huge fire, just like when you open your mouth something huge comes out. In your case it is your voice or sound." Shin smiled.

"Well, I wouldn't know much about that character. I'm too old to play such childish games anymore." Yoshiro fired back at him.

"Yes, well age, wisdom, and maturity do not always go hand in hand, but I too am beyond playing childish games. I only like to play adult games." Shin turned toward Yankumi and brought her hand to his mouth and kissed it. "Isn't that right Kumiko?" He gazed into her eyes.

Yankumi blushed, giggled, and stood transfixed in his gaze. Shin looked back over at Yoshiro smugly. "By the way, Yoshiro _**kun**_." Shin stressed the honorific at the end of his name. "I can't thank you enough for coming all this way to sing at our wedding, and your voice is simply wonderful. I'm glad that you could make it."

"Yes, well, I wouldn't miss a chance to attend Kumichou's big day and congratulate her at her **first** wedding. She and I have shared quite a few big events and firsts together. Isn't that right Kumichou?" Yoshiro turned to look at Yankumi. Shin smarted at Yoshiro's off-handed remark.

Yankumi finally turned away from Shin to stare at Yoshiro. "Huh? Oh, yeah, that's right. We did. He was my first friend and my best friend. We shared the measles, we ran a gambling ring together, we learned about condoms together, and he was the first one to come over to my house, and and …" Yankumi was so excited she began recounting all of their experiences.

"Don't forget to mention the most important first we shared together." Yoshiro grabbed Yankumi's hand. "We shared our first kiss together." He picked up her hand and kissed it.

**

* * *

**

In the Elevator

Imani had explained what was occurring to the other men, and they were all heading down to the 4th floor. She was slightly anxious looking out of the glass elevator doors as they descended. She heard muffled giggles, chuckles, and laughing from the others and turned to find all of the guys looking away and hiding their smiles.

"What?" Imani asked. "Is it the other wedding dress, the fact that I had three of my fans give me a cape, the hooded cape itself, or the fact that 20 actors or about to have the shock of their lives if we don't hurry?"

At that they no longer held back their laughter and guffawed out loud. Finally, Yabuki caught his breath and told her. "It's all of that."

Imani glared. "Do you guys not realize how serious this is? If we don't hurry down there, those poor actors will be hurt."

Odagiri nodded. "Yes, that's true, but you have to admit it is pretty funny. I can just imagine the look on their faces as the kumi, the body guards, and your security all pull out weapons aimed towards them." He began laughing again.

Imani looked at all of them incredulously and then turned to Tsuchi who had a huge grin that quickly changed to a serious face as Imani looked at him. "Et tu, Hikaru?" Tsuchi broke into laughter once again as they arrived at their floor and found her father. They then launched a plan of attack.

**

* * *

**

Back in the ballroom the other battle was coming to a head.

Yankumi turned a bright red and looked back and forth between Yoshiro and Shin. "That, that didn't count. We were only k-kids." She was panicked.

"It does too count." Yoshiro smiled smugly. "Especially since, you were the one to kiss me." He whispered smirking.

Yankumi's mouth dropped as she turned an even deeper shade of crimson. "But … I … No …It didn't…" She faltered and stammered trying to figure out what to say to explain to Shin.

Shin smiled and chuckled, putting his arm around Yankumi. "I understand Kumiko. Who you had your first kiss with isn't that important to me since all your kisses from here on out belong to me." He cupped her chin, lifted her face toward his and gave her a light kiss on the lips. Shin turned toward Yoshiro again. "By the way, I heard that instead of making a toast you will be honoring us with more of your singing. I really appreciate it and look forward to it."

"Thank you. I hope I can satisfy you because there is nothing that I want more than my Kumichou to be satisfied on her big day." Yoshiro hinted.

"Yes, well that will be my job, and I am more than up for the challenge." Shin smiled. "You don't have to worry about that."

"Eh, Shin, are you going to sing too?" Yankumi asked. Yoshiro and Shin looked at each other blankly and shook their heads. Then Shin had a wicked thought.

"Of course not, don't be ridiculous." Shin said out loud and then said to Yankumi in a low voice. "But I look forward to hearing you hit some high notes later when we are in private." He wriggled his eyebrows as Yankumi displayed a confused look. Shin then turned towards Yoshiro. "Which reminds me, when you get married Yoshiro kun, be sure to send us an invitation. We'll definitely attend. Don't count on us to sing though. But attending your wedding is the least we can do since you flew thousands of miles across the ocean to be here and sing for us. By the way, do you have anyone in mind to marry?"

"Oh, that's right. Yoshiro kun, you said you also came back to confess to your first love. Did you get a chance to, and how did that work out?" Yankumi asked brightly.

**

* * *

**

Outside of the Ballroom

The fourteen had met up with Kenazawa sensei and decided to take on each of the ninjas one at a time. Takeda and Hyuga had returned to the ballroom and were looking around. They saw two of them peeking from the service entrance and then saw a cart. So they took the cart, slammed open the doors and pushed it into the two.

"Excuse us. Coming through. Service." Takeda said loudly. Both men were knocked down by the cart. Hyuga and Takeda congratulated each other with a high five and laughed as Imani's security team quickly took them away and escorted them to the sixth floor. They called Imani. "We got our two."

Kyou snuck behind two of them stealthily as they were about to open an entrance door. He spoke up startling them. "You two wouldn't be tryin ta crash Ojou's little shindig here would ya? If so, that's a mistake you won't make twice." They looked up at him anxious, as he crashed their skulls together knocking them out. "That's two down." He had called Imani. She looked over at him from another entrance and saw the men lying on the ground unconscious. She wagged her finger and shook her head disapprovingly at Kyou, frowning. Kyou shrugged as if to say 'what could I do?' Another security guard retrieved the two and deposited them upstairs.

Imani saw two of them at the east entrance and hurried to them. She opened the door and took them outside. "The producer told me to tell you that the wedding party is waiting for you guys on the sixth floor in the Imperial Ballroom. This is the Emperor's Ballroom."

They looked at her skeptically. "Are you sure?"

Imani nodded. "Yes and he's miffed because you guys are so late." They cringed and ran to the elevator upstairs. Imani called the others. "Okay, those two left without any struggle." She smiled and turned to go into the ballroom. As she opened the door, a hand reached out and quickly closed it. She turned back around to see the two who she had talked to earlier. "You two? What are you doing back here?"

"Well, we were talking on the way to the sixth floor and thought it was strange that your dress underneath the cape was in that state." He shook his head.

"And that's when we realized that we had just been duped by the princess." The other guy mentioned.

"Princess, what are you talking about?" Imani asked. "I told you already. I was sent by the producer to find you guys and get you to the right location."

"We thought that too, but if he was waiting for us, then why are you already in that condition?" He asked.

"It could only be because you are the princess and have already defeated some of our men." They grabbed hold of her arms on either side.

Imani shook her head. "You guys are making a big mistake. Why would I mention the producer and the name of the ballroom if I were trying to fool you? Wouldn't I say something like the White Knight is waiting for you upstairs?"

"Ah ha, see, you even know who the White Knight is." The first one said.

"No, you made the big mistake, Princess, in trying to fool us." The second one added.

"No, like she said. You guys have made a big mistake, a fatal mistake, messing with _my_ princess." And with that, her dad who had just arrived jumped in the air and swung his leg left and then right, knocking out both guys.

Imani looked at her dad with respect. "I'm impressed. I didn't know the old man still had it in him to get his leg up that high." She teased her father.

"Keep it up, and I'll throw you over my knee and give you a spanking you won't forget, little girl." Kenazawa sensei replied. Then he noticed her dress. "Baby, are you okay? What happened? Look at the state of you." Imani sighed and quickly explained what happened to her father.

Meanwhile, Noda and Minami had grabbed a chord from some nearby curtains and spread it across the entrance. As the two men, walked in, they pulled both sides tight and tripped the men. They hurriedly rushed them outside and tied them up. They called Imani. "We got our two." Another bodyguard came to escort the two to the sixth floor.

Sugawara and Wakamatsu joined Imani holding a man in each hand by their collars. "Two up." Suguwara spoke.

"And two down." Wakamatsu finished.

Imani sighed. "Ken, please deposit them with the rest. Could the rest of you at least try not to knock anyone out?"

"Will do Empress." She heard over her hidden earpiece.

Odagiri and Yabuki were walking and talking. "So how does it feel to see your two great loves, both of which you cannot have?" Yabuki asked.

"What two?" Odagiri asked.

"Yankumi and Imani." Yabuki replied.

"I thought we cleared that up about Imani two years ago." Odagiri said.

"Yeah but there's no way that video didn't bring back memories." Yabuki looked at Odagiri curiously.

"The only memories that I have from watching that video was Tsuchi and her father's face. After that, everything else was wiped clean." Odagiri replied.

"Man you can't tell me that if Tsuchi wasn't your friend or if there was an opportunity you wouldn't take it?" Yabuki eyed him.

Odagiri considered and then frowned. Yabuki looked surprised until Odagiri nodded toward the door. When he followed Odagiri's gaze he saw two black-clad young men sneaking up to the door. Odagiri tapped one on the shoulder. "Excuse me but I believe the wedding that you are looking for is upstairs."

"How would you know what we are here for if you are not one of the Dark Knight's men?" One of them asked.

"Do you see any cameras around? We were told by the director that you may accidentally come here instead of there. We are trying to save you some embarrassment." Odagiri explained.

"What if we say we don't believe you?" One of the men took a fighting stance and challenged Odagiri.

"Suit yourself, but there is no way you are getting into that wedding." Yabuki took a defensive stance. The two guys made mock advancements toward them as if they were about to attack. Yabuki and Odagiri looked at each other and nodded. Then they hit the person that was opposite of them.

"Imani won't be happy about this." Odagiri noted.

"It couldn't be helped." Yabuki smiled.

"So what about you?" Odagiri asked.

"What about me?" Yabuki asked.

"You've lost out too." Odagiri eyed him.

"Well, I never stood a chance with Imani since you and Tsuchi were greedy and kept her from us. I didn't even get in the game." Yabuki laughed it off.

"Yeah, and the other one?" Odagiri replied. Yabuki shrugged. "That day that I confessed, I know that you also went there to confess, too."

Yabuki shook his head innocently and stared blankly. "I don't know what you are talking about."

Odagiri smirked. "Then what were you talking about just now?"

"Let's just take it as I never said anything." Yabuki asked.

"Not a word." Odagiri agreed.

Meanwhile, Kuma and Minoru had went back into the reception. "Hey, Kuma. You're food yesterday was really good. Your ramen is really good, too." Minoru nudged Kuma.

"Eh, really?" Kuma asked smiling. Minoru nodded. "Thanks."

"Yeah, but just thinking of it makes me hungry." Minoru thought out loud, rubbing his stomach.

"Me, too." Kuma rubbed his stomach also. "Let's go get some more food from the reception."

"Yeah." Minoru agreed. As they headed toward one of the doors, they saw two more of the men in black. They were looking inside of the glass windows in the double doors.

"Eh, what are you doing? You don't belong here." Kuma said standing next to one of the men.

"The White Knight sent us." One of the men said without looking at Kuma.

"You're supposed to be two floors up, and you're in our way." Minoru stood directly next to the other guy.

"Look, we have a job to do, and if you don't want to get hurt, you'll stay out of our way." The one next to Minoru turned around to face Minoru's chest. He backed up instinctively scared.

"That's right." The other one turned to face Kuma and also mimicked the first one's actions, backing away from Kuma.

"Well, I say you're in the wrong place and you're in the way. If you don't move, you're the ones who'll get hurt." Minoru got into the man's face, threatening.

"Yeah, we're trying to get food, and we're really hungry. Do you know what will happen to you if you get in the way of our food?" Kuma got into the face of the second man. They both backed up until they bumped each other. Then they jumped out of fear after touching and faced each other.

"Aughhh!" They both yelled, and then turned around and faced Kuma and Minoru, who had moved closer to them rubbing their hungry stomachs and licking their lips. Finally, the two ninjas fled screaming and went to the elevators, punching the sixth floor as fast as they could.

"Man, I'm sure glad they didn't put up a fight. I'm so hungry I don't think I had the energy to fight them." Kuma said. Minoru smiled and nodded in agreement. They reported to Imani and went to get some food.

* * *

Back in the reception, Yoshiro winced at Yankumi mentioning his confession to his first love. He felt as if an arrow had been shot through his heart. "Ah no, it didn't work out."

"Ehhhh?" Yankumi asked. "Why not? Is it because you look like a ko-gal?" Shin chuckled at that.

"No! It's because she already has someone else that she likes." Yoshiro replied.

"Well, if it isn't serious, fight for her! You're strong now. Does the guy like her? I'm sure if you sang to her she would dump him for you in a minute." Yankumi encouraged him.

"I don't think so. I tried that, and she didn't waver a second. Besides, they're serious. They're married." Yoshiro replied looking off into the distance.

"Ah, well, if they're married, that's different. Then it couldn't be helped." Yankumi nodded trying to console him. Then her face turned serious. "You better not try anything, or I'll never forgive you. Stealing another man's woman goes against one of the three yakuza laws." Yankumi gave Yoshiro a stern look.

Yoshiro nodded. "I know, but I'll be watching her and waiting because if he doesn't take care of her," Yoshiro looked Shin dead in the eye. "I'll be back and will definitely fight for her then." Yoshiro gave Yankumi a quick kiss on the cheek. "Hm. Congratulations. I see Kekkon sama coming. I better get ready for my toast." He nodded at Shin

Shin shook Yoshiro's hand. "Nice talking with you sempai." He then pulled Yoshiro close. "But don't go too far because we will definitely finish this later." Shin gave Yoshiro his signature smirk.

Yoshiro walked off smiling having managed to get in a few good verbal jabs and looking forward to the next round determined to win it.

**

* * *

**

Outside

Tsuchi and Uchi were walking around trying to find the other ninjas. "Soooo, you and Imani." Uchi began.

"Yeah," Tsuchi gave him a side-long glance.

"How serious are you?" Uchi asked.

"Very." Tsuchi replied.

"How far do you intend to go?" Uchi asked off-handedly.

"All the way if she will let me." Tsuchi replied.

"Sooooo, do you love her?" Uchi asked.

Tsuchi glanced at him again. "It goes without saying. What's it to ya?"

"Then do you trust her?" Uchi asked.

"Again, it goes without saying. Why?" Tsuchi was getting frustrated.

"Because from the look of you when you were watching that video yesterday, you didn't seem very happy even though you knew what was really going on." Uchi offered. "It seems to me that you don't trust her."

"I do trust her." Tsuchi assured him.

"Then if I said I slept with her last night, what would you say?" Uchi asked bracing for what was to come next.

"Heh heh." Tsuchi slightly grinned for a moment. The next moment Tsuchi's arm was pressing against Uchi's neck against the wall.

"And?" Tsuchi asked. "What else because knowing and trusting my girlfriend like I do, nothing else happened." He pressed against Uchi's neck harder. "Unless you saw her naked. She likes to sleep wearing nothing, you know." Tsuchi looked into Uchi's face as Uchi imagined and slightly blushed. Tsuchi hit him. "Hey."

Uchi placed his hands up in protest. "Geez dude, it was just a joke. It's not like you didn't know that nothing happened. I overheard your conversation this morning."

Tsuchi released him but was still in Uchi's face. "What are you playing at? Why are you asking me all of these questions? Why do you care about me and my girlfriend's relationship?"

"Because I'm the best man. It's my job, but also because your girlfriend was almost in tears worried that her boyfriend is going to cheat on her because she wants to wait until marriage to do that, and he can't wait for her." Uchi replied.

Tsuchi turned away, ran his hands through his hair, and sighed. "God, I already talked to her about that this morning. I don't know where she got that idea or why. She should know how much I love her. Why does she have to worry about that? More than that why would she ask a stranger instead of asking me her boyfriend?"

"The obasans at Yankumi's shower said something." Uchi told him.

Tsuchi nodded. "She should know better than to believe anything they say. Why would she listen to them?"

"Because from what I hear you're her first boyfriend so she's new at this relationship thing, and it didn't help that she heard the same thing from her own boyfriend's mouth." Uchi replied.

"Eh? Me?" Tsuchi pointed to himself. "When did I?" He stopped and thought.

"Last night when she asked you before she had to chase down a drunken Yankumi and ecchi Shin." Uchi told him.

Tsuchi searched his mind and then gasped. "That. When she asked me about it, I thought she was talking about Odagiri. So, I told her that of course the guy would find another girl. I didn't think that she was talking about me, especially since we had been talking about the date right before that." He hit his forehead with his hand.

"Nope, she was talking about you." Uchi responded.

"So that's why. Shin nii was right." Tsuchi smiled, relieved. "Man, I guess I better watch what I say or ask her what she really means so that she doesn't misunderstand again."

"Yeah, because I probably don't need to tell you this, but there is a long list of guys waiting to console her if you make her sad, upset, or cry." Uchi pat his shoulder.

Tsuchi looked over his shoulder at Uchi. "No, you don't have to tell me. I already know."

"Well then, next time act like you know. Or else you will have your girlfriend asking me if I wanted to sleep with her again." Uchi remarked.

Tsuchi turned and pushed him against the wall with his arm pressed against Uchi's neck again. "What?"

"Dude, it wasn't like that." Uchi grinned and held up his hands. "She said if I were in your place would I want to? Anyway, it was just a joke."

"Yeah, well, your jokes ain't funny. I don't want to hear any more jokes from you. In fact, I don't want to hear any more from you, tonight." Tsuchi let him go.

"Okay, but I have two more questions for you." Uchi spoke up.

"Go ahead." Tsuchi sighed.

Uchi nodded toward somewhere behind Tsuchi. "You think those are the guys that we are looking for?" Tsuchi turned around and smiled. "Then, shall we?" Uchi asked the second question.

"Hell yeah." Tsuchi replied. He strode up to the two guys looking through the round small glass windows on the double doors dressed in all black. "Excuse me. You guys don't belong here. You got the wrong party. So you need to go two floors up and tell your boss that you got the wrong place, the wrong time, and the wrong guys."

"What! How would you know that unless you are the ones we were sent to fight?" One of the guys asked.

"Because we ran into some more of your boys earlier, and they told us." Uchi explained.

"Like we'd believe the knights of the dark planet." The other guy mentioned.

Tsuchi smiled and cracked his knuckles. "Well, knock yourself out, or better yet why don't you let us do the knocking for you." Tsuchi and Uchi moved forward toward the guys. The two guys came forward and lunged toward Tsuchi and Uchi. Tsuchi and Uchi both dodged by moving away from their center and turning 90 degrees. The two guys stumbled having not connected their punches with either man. Uchi turned around quickly and kicked the first guy in the back knocking him down. He then turned the guy over and punched him across the face. Tsuchi grabbed the other guy by the wrist, twisted him around 180, and then connected a right hook with the guy's jaw. They turned to each other and gave each other high fives.

Tsuchi called Imani. "Two ready for pick up."

"Great, meet in front of the entrance, the Kens should already be there." As she spoke, two guys in black suits and dark glasses picked up the other two guys.

"Hm." Tsuchi responded and hung up. He turned to Uchi. "Let's go."

"Oi, you purposely ticked them off to get them to fight didn't you?" Uchi asked.

"Guilty. I had to do something. You pissed me off so much I wanted to hit something." Tsuchi replied.

"So, are we cool?" Uchi asked.

"Yeah we're cool. Just stay away from my girlfriend." Tsuchi warned him in a friendly tone. They left to go to the rendezvous point.

On the way to the rendezvous point, they encountered the others in the hallway with the exception of Minoru, Kuma, Hyuga, and Takeda.

"Everyone, I need a replay. Where did you meet them and how many have you taken care of?" Imani asked. When they had all finished, Imani summarized. "Kuma and Minoru, and Hyuga and Take had two each. That's only 18. We're missing two."

"Then I guess those are the two that we are looking for." Uchi nodded over toward the door. At that moment the door swung open and Shin stepped out.

"Shin, look out!" Uchi warned him and headed over to help. But there was no need. As soon as Shin heard the warning, he quickly took stock of the situation and threw a quick 1-2 jab combination knocking both men out.

"I needed that." Shin then adjusted his jacket as the others also strode over. He eyed the two men lying on the ground and the remainder of the group. "Do I even want to know right now?" They all looked at each other and then at Shin and slowly shook their heads.

"What are you doing out here anyway?" Uchi asked.

"Well, my lovely bride and Kekkon sama are about to freak out because it is time to cut the cake and begin the toasts, and more than half of the wedding party could not be accounted for, particularly the maiden of honor and best man." Shin looked accusingly at Imani and then Uchi, who looked up toward the ceiling sheepishly pretending to whistle. "Anyway, let's go before that Kekkon woman throws a hissy fit. I swear you would think it's her wedding." Shin turned and walked off. He stopped and turned back in Imani's direction. "Oh, and I do want to hear about this later."

**

* * *

**

Inside the Ballroom

The door swung open to reveal Shin, followed by eleven others who had been absent for quite some time. Kekkon sama breathed a sigh of relief and signaled to her staff and the hotel staff to get the cake ready and the champagne and glasses ready.

"Excuse me. Can we have everyone's attention? It is time to cut the cake and then make the toasts. I'd like everyone who wants to get a picture to gather on the left or right side of the couple, and we'll let the photographer and videographer have the center positions to take their pictures. Now, without further adieu, I give you the wedding cake." The cake was seven round tiers of angel food cake, alternating with white icing and a light lavender shade of icing. It was decorated with edible flowers the same style as the rest of the room. There were also lavender ribbons decorated across the bottom of each layer of cake. Yankumi had not seen the final product and was astounded as it was wheeled out. The waiter stopped in front of the couple and handed Shin a silver serving knife with a lavender bow around the handle and a single flower in the middle. Yankumi and Shin's name were engraved on it.

Yankumi was impressed. She whispered to Shin. "This will make a great hand-to-hand combat weapon." Shin just shook his head and smiled. He then handed the knife to Yankumi and wrapped his hands and his arms around hers, enclosing her in an embrace from behind. He shuffled her over to the cake, and they used both their hands to cut two pieces. They placed the serving knife to the side as one of the waiters put their pieces of cake on the plate and handed it to them. Shin and Yankumi turned toward each other and picked up the small slices to feed to each other.

Yankumi smiled at Shin and then with a wicked glint in her eye smashed the cake onto his face instead of in his mouth only getting a little in his mouth. At that moment, Shin also with a wicked glint took the piece that he had held in front of Yankumi's mouth missed her mouth as she was reaching down to eat it and placed it in his own mouth. Yankumi was about to huff when Shin quickly kissed her transferring the piece from his mouth to hers and making sure to transfer the cake on his face on to her face as a series of flashes went off capturing the messy, yet sweet moment. He then withdrew, and wiped some of the cake from her mouth with his thumb. He licked this thumb. "Delicious, eh?"

Yankumi as usual was spellbound by Shin's "sweet" kiss and could only nod and stare at him in response.

Kekkon sama chuckled nervously and called attention away quickly. "Wasn't that quaint of the couple to turn such a precious moment into a humorous event?" Her broad fake grin did not reach her eyes. "Now while we are all waiting for the cake to be cut and served, we will start the toasts. There are an abundance of well-wishers that would like to toast the couple's happiness, so may I ask that each person keep the toast to a maximum of 3 minutes and to get ready." Ten servers quickly filled champagne glasses and had them distributed to the guests in no time. The wedding party was served last with a special bottle reserved for the wedding party and the bride and groom. "All, let's raise our glasses and toast the happy couple. To Sawada Shin and Kumiko, may you have a long, prosperous, and happy marriage, and may your life be as beautiful and blessed everyday as this wedding is. Gambatte!" All the guests raised their glasses and then downed the drinks. Shin and Yankumi interlocked their arms and drank a love shot.

Meanwhile, five waitresses quickly dismantled the layers of the cake, sliced them, and served them to the guests. Kekkon sama also downed hers quickly and motioned for another. _This can't compare to Kyou's headache medicine, but it will do for now_. She thought. "Okay, well it is time for the toasts. First, we will be hearing from Kuroda sama the kum- excuse me, the bride's grandfather and the head of the Oeda family." Kekkon sama covered over her slip of the tongue by downing her second glass of champagne quickly.

Kuroda stood as did all of the families represented. His men quickly got into place to form two rows down a path to allow him to walk through. Once he reached the microphone, Wakamatsu, Sugawara, Minoru, Kyou and Tetsu flanked around him and perused the crowd. The other families still standing all bowed with their palms placed on their thighs just above their knees. Kuroda nodded at them and raised his hand signaling for them to rise, but they remained bowing. He cleared his throat.

"When my granddaughter came to live with me as a young child when her parents were tragically taken from her in an accident, I was unsure of what path was set for her. I was also unsure if a little girl raised in a household full of tough men would receive the guidance needed to make the right choices. However, as she grew, it was obvious that whatever choice she made, it would not only be right, but it would be successful. So far that has been the case. She has been successful in choosing a career and in choosing an impressive life mate. This young man impressed me from the first time that I met him. He was already the boss of his class, his year and then of his school. I knew that someday, he would make an excellent family boss and was the right person to be by my granddaughter's side if she chose to become the boss of our family business. In our family's business, it is not too often that the women are the bosses, but I don't know anyone who would doubt that my granddaughter makes the right decisions and would make an excellent boss in the family business."

All the men bowed at that again. "So, I am sure that she will make a great boss of her own family or any family for that matter, and I'm sure that she has chosen the right person to have at her side, who is a boss in his own right. To my granddaughter and her husband, the young lion, congratulations and always watch each other's back." He raised his small cup of sake and drank it quickly. All the men bowed again as he strode down the path to return to his seat followed by Kyou, Wakamatsu, Minoru, Sugawara and Tetsu. Then all of the men returned to their seats. Everyone else applauded loudly.

Yankumi was moved to tears, and looked at Shin. "Grandpa's toast was so touching. I've never heard him so emotional." Shin put his arm around Yankumi's shoulder comforting her.

Kekkon sama returned to the mike to introduce the next speaker. "We now have the bride's close friend, surrogate sister, maiden of honor, and the star of the "Omiai Challenge" skit, Harrison Imani sensei." Quite a few of the onlookers were surprised to see Imani take the microphone as the bride's surrogate sister.

"Thank you, Kekkon sama. What to do, after Ojiisan's moving toast, I am ashamed to say anything. Nevertheless, I would not miss the chance to congratulate my favorite couple, and my wonderful older sister. I don't know of a couple more suited for each other." Tsuchi cleared his throat. Imani noted it but continued. "No, I don't think there is a couple that is more suited for each other than these two. They are opposites through and through, but those who are familiar with scientific principles know that opposites attract. And just like two magnets with opposite charges, there is little that can separate the two once they have been brought together because they complete each other and complement each other. So, I believe it is the same with these two. Shin's quick-witted, logical, level-headed, even-tempered personality matched with Kumiko's sharp-tongued, passionate, hot-blooded, action-oriented nature fit perfectly together like two pieces of a puzzle. Together, they are the most loyal, caring, selfless, intelligent couple I know who can accomplish anything together. So to my older sister, and my new older brother, no matter what it is you two can face it, overcome, and solve it together. Congratulations." Imani raised her glass and toasted them. "Oh, and I have your back if either of you need me except for against each other." She winked at them and returned to her seat while everyone applauded her.

Kekkon sama next introduced the Shirokin four from 3D. Uchi took the mike and smiled. "As Shirokin 3D's leader, Shin usually does the speaking for the rest of us, but you could hardly expect Shin to toast himself at his own wedding. So as the best man, and the one least likely to say something lewd," he turned to look at Minami and Noda behind him who were sheepishly looking up and pretending to whistle, "and the one who wouldn't burst into tears when making the toast," he turned to look at Kuma who was holding back his tears.

"I was chosen as the representative speaker for 3D, but if I had known I would have to follow two impressive toasts, I would have gladly given up the honor." Uchi smiled. "Just kidding, Shin. I wouldn't miss the chance to roast my good buddy and the leader of Shirokin's 3D. I meant toast him." The crowd chuckled. "Now, what can I say about Shin, well he was always the best at everything he did. He was the best at school (he got accepted into Toudai), the best in sports (could win first place in any sport he chose), the best at getting the girls, the best at getting out of trouble, the best-looking (according to the girls), and in everything. By the way, I was second best at looks and getting girls." Uchi rubbed his hand through his head while the other three protested and playfully nudged him in his ribs. "So anyway, we thought that he would choose the best girl, the best looking with the best body and big …" Uchi made a gesture in front of his chest as Shin glared at him. "You know like a model or idol or something. So we were surprised when he chose Yankumi."

Yankumi glared at them and had a cross hatch on her forehead, irked. "But, when we thought about it and thought about all the times Yankumi had been there for us, saved our butts, given us tough love when we needed it (and boy did her love hurt at those times.)" Uchi rubbed his cheek as everyone chuckled. "and how she made school interesting and inspired us to do something useful with our lives and to dream, to make plans, and to have goals, then we realized who could be better than Yankumi? Besides, she is quite hot when she's dressed up and all dolled out like today. So you still got the best looking girl, Shin buddy." Uchi raised his glass to him, and Shin smirked and rolled his eyes.

Shin mouthed. "You don't have to tell me."

"So, congratulations to our buddy Shin and to Yankumi, the best." Uchi finished.

"The best." Noda, Minami, and Kuma repeated and raised their glasses in a toast. Everyone drank and applauded Uchi's speech.

"Oh, and Shin you can have the job as 3D spokesman back, this bites. I don't care if it is a function for you in the future you toast yourself." Everyone laughed as the four sat down.

Kekkon sama spoke. "Thank you Uchiyama for that humor-filled toast. Now, it is time for Sawada sama to speak, the father of the groom."

"As many of you know, I am a Congressman who has reached out to the community to become their servant for the past twenty years. Before that, I chose to serve the community as a simple police detective. So naturally, I pushed my son to doing the same thing, to reaching out to his community and serving it." Shin's father began.

"Of course he is the best, because I and his mother have always strived to give him the best, the best education, attending the best schools, taking cultural lessons, and choosing for him the best friends. When he rejected all that and chose to go down his own path, I thought that he was ignoring his community and not going to amount to anything. Well, I'm happy to say that I was wrong. It was late in coming, but I learned the lesson that my son wanted to teach me, and that is that there is more than one way to reach out to your community besides being in politics or law enforcement. I understood that going to a public school like Shirokin he was able to understand what educational issues the majority of my constituents face for their children. By serving in the Corp instead of going to Toudai, he served the broader community, the world community, and by being in the architectural field, designing and building schools, he serviced the local community. Finally, the wife he chose represented an altogether different community than the others. So, I have to say congratulations to my son and his wife. Though unorthodox, they are both excellent teachers. I'm proud of you son. Welcome to the family Sawada Kumiko." He raised his glass, and all of the foreign diplomats and other diet members all stood to clap. Yankumi smiled tenderly and turned to Shin who looked surprised. Shin looked skeptical but smiled and raised his glass to his father.

When his father returned to his mother, she kissed him on the cheek. "Dear, I had no idea that you felt that way about our son and daughter-in-law. I am so proud. I thought you still wanted to cancel the wedding."

He smiled. "That should really get my constituency up for the next election, don't you think? I finally figured out a way to make Shin's marriage work for me politically since he decided not to marry one of our political allies' daughters. Who would have thought it? And that toast was one of my better speeches."

Shin's mother sighed and hung her head. Her daughter consoled her.

After his speech, Natsumi spoke about how much she loved her brother and how he protected her, and welcomed Yankumi to the family. Then, there were about 20 other toasts from other diet members and foreign diplomats who gave toasts on marriage and what it means to the future of Japan to have happy marriages and populate Japan with plenty of children. Then the teachers spoke, first Fujiyama and Kawishima sensei, then Shiratori sensei, and then Baba sensei, Kujo sensei and Shinohara san all gave the same toast and said a simple, "Congratulations Shin, you're a lucky man." Kashiwagi san was so emotional at the loss of Yankumi that he could only cry and raise his glass. He simply took off his shades, held up his glass, and then put them back on again and sat down. And then it was Kurogin 3D's turn.

All five of the guys walked up to speak on the mike. Hyuga began. "Well, since we represent all of Kurogin not just 3D, we felt that we all needed to be here. We agree with what Uchiyama sempai said earlier. It is really hard to follow so many good speakers and come up with something good to say because we are not used to speaking for anybody or in front of anybody. So, I guess what we are trying to say is congratulations."

Yabuki snatched the mike from Hyuga and glared at him. "Give me that. That is why we all chose to come up here and speak in case one of the others said something stupid or didn't know what to say." He glared at Hyuga. "Unlike Uchiyama sempai though, we weren't surprised at why Sawada sempai would choose Yankumi. We already knew she was the best, but really who would have thought that Yankumi could be such a hottie when she dressed up. Although she has really small …" He was holding both hands in front of his chest.

Takeda snatched the mike from Yabuki. "I'd like to say to Yankumi thank you. Some parts of her anatomy may be small, but she has a really big heart. She also has a really hard hit, but without both of those we wouldn't have been able to do anything in life, and I wouldn't have my current girlfriend." He looked at Maki chan and smiled. She blushed.

Odagiri took the mike from him. "Anyway, we all wanted to come up here to say that without Yankumi in our lives, there is a lot that we couldn't have done. We agree with Sawada san that Yankumi is an excellent teacher, both in and out of the classroom, and that's why we think that Yankumi is the best and aren't surprise that Sawada san grew to love Yankumi, in fact I wouldn't be surprised if more of Yankumi's student's didn't love her." Odagiri gave Yabuki a glance. Shin took note and hugged Yankumi closer to him possessively.

Tsuchi took the mike from Odagiri and gave him a side-long glance. "As Yankumi's future in-law." Tsuchi quickly corrected when he heard a series of "Eh's?" and saw Imani's glare and her father's surprised look. "That is, as a potential future family member of Yankumi's, let me try to speak for the rest of Kurogin 3D since the others seem to be a little tongue-tied." He looked at all his fellow 3D members. "As you can tell, we are not good speakers, and we certainly weren't the best students, and if it wasn't for Yankumi being our teacher, most of us wouldn't have graduated and wouldn't have got to where we are now. So, we all came up here to thank you Yankumi since we don't think we have properly thanked you in the past. And we all wanted to say …" he paused as the rest of the guys gathered around him.

"Congratulations, Yankumi. Thank you very much. You're the best." They all bowed to her and then stood up and sat down. Everyone clapped, and Yankumi felt tears sting her eyes. Imani looked at Tsuchi and mouthed the words. "Good job" to him and gave him the "OK" sign, expressing her approval. Tsuchi beamed at Imani's praise.

Next Yankumi's Akidou 3D academy students got up. "Wow, how can we follow our sempais?" Kumiya asked. "I guess we have only one thing to say. Con." He began and passed the mike.

"Grat." Ichimura spoke.

"U," Ogata was next.

"LA," Honjo added.

"TIONS," Kazama chimed in.

"Yankumi." Kuraki finished.

"You're the best." They ended together and sat down.

Yankumi clapped smiling at how simple her students' speech was. Next, Sawatori sensei stood up and went to the mike. He took out his note cards and realized that almost everyone else had already said what he had prepared. He began to murmur to himself. _Great, everything I wanted to say about that woman has already been said. They took the best parts of my speech. That infuriating woman, always causing trouble even at her own wedding. How unlucky of me to have met her. If only I had never met her, I could be the Superintendent by now instead of just the principal. Great, what can I say about her? What to do? What can I say that everyone else has not already said? That's it._ By that time Sawatori sensei had reached the microphone and bowed to Kekkon sama.

"Thank you, Kekkon sama for allowing me to give a speech at short notice. What can I say about Yamaguchi sensei that has not already been said?" He began. "I have had the distinct fortune, no." _More like misfortune_.

"I have had the distinct pleasure, no." _Knowing Yamaguchi sensei definitely hasn't been pleasurable_.

"I have had the distinct honor of knowing Yamaguchi sensei, er, Sawada sensei, that is and served with her as head teacher at three different high schools now." _If I hadn't been so unlucky to have met her, I would have been the Superintendent of a school by now instead of just a principal, that troublesome woman._

"You have heard that she has been there for her students no matter what. Well, it's true. Whenever there was trouble, you can always rely on Yamaguchi sensei to be there." _Because she and her students either started it, caused it, or were somehow related to the trouble. _

"Yes, she'd go above and beyond doing whatever it takes to help her students." _More like she was always doing unnecessary things making it worse_.

"And for students who proved as challenging as hers that was a tall order. In fact, no other teacher than Sawada sensei could have been there for those students like she was. She was probably the only teacher who could have accomplished what she did. Never was there a more suitable teacher for those students than Sawada sensei." _A gangster teacher for delinquent students, a match made in hell._

"That is why if ever I get the opportunity to work with her again," _Say as a superintendent at the new school._ "I would not hesitate to have her as the teacher for 3D students, or 2D or 1D, for that matter. Yes, I would feel honored to work with her again as superintendent at the new school or whatever other supervisory position may be available." _Hopefully, they'll take the hint_.

"And what about Sawada, Shirokin's pride and joy, our number one student of all time, the only one to ever be accepted into Toudai." _Although he disgraced us by going to build houses for people in a foreign country_.

"Although he left to find enlightenment and higher education through a different path, a more appropriate groom you couldn't find." _I'm surprised she found him at all. She certainly couldn't find another groom if she tried. But if anyone can tame her, it would be him_.

"So to a former colleague, and Shirokin's most treasured student, congratulations." He bowed to them and then raised his glass and sat down.

Yankumi turned to Shin overjoyed. "Can you believe Kyoto sensei's speech?" She shook her head. "I mean, Principal Sawatori's speech about me." Shin shook his head hoping Yankumi understood all the hidden meaning in it. "He said such wonderful things about me. Who would have thought it, especially since he was urging me to cancel the wedding the other day and matchmake with someone else."

"Eh?" Shin looked upset and quickly downed champagne and not too soon as Yoshiro came to sing "I'll Be There" by the Jackson Five, another love ballad to Yankumi. The entire time as he sang he stared at Yankumi, and she stared back as if entranced. Shin kept his arm around her possessively throughout the song. As everyone applauded at the song's conclusion including an enthralled Yankumi, Shin downed another drink giving Yoshiro a warning look. Yoshiro simply bowed his head and toasted Kumiko.

"Thank you Yoshiro san for gracing us with your beautiful voice yet again. I'm sure the bride and groom will join me in thanking you for providing a moving song instead of a speech." Kekkon sama smiled_. I know if I have to go through one more speech, I am going to lose it._ "Originally, Yoshiro was to be the final congratulator with his song, which would have led perfectly into the next part, the dance. However, the next gentleman told me such a touching story about how his life changed after having met the family that I was compelled to make a special allowance for him to offer his congratulations to both families. Without further adieu, I give you Hongo san.

A tall, older, stately gentleman, with silver hair, a cane, and a dignified manner walked up to the microphone and bowed at Kekkon sama as he took the microphone. "First of all, I want to say to Kekkon sama, how much I appreciate her making an allowance for me, an old friend of the family." He turned toward Shin and Yankumi then. "I have never seen a more lovely couple who seem well-suited for each other than you two. You don't know how lucky you are to have found each other. And you don't know how lucky you two are to be a part of your new family. I know you two don't know me, but I am well acquainted with your family. In fact I have a long history with your family. If it wasn't for your family, I wouldn't be standing here as the man you see today. And so, I owe your family a great debt. So when I heard about your wedding, I knew that I had to be here to make a toast to the lovely couple. I know that making a toast does not begin to cover the debt that I owe. So, I have prepared a special present for you. And even though it took a great deal of effort, it was nothing compared to what I owe your family. In fact, I wouldn't miss the chance to give you this special present for the world." With that last toast, everything began to hit at once, beginning with Shin being overcome by a weird sensation and the arrival of another unexpected guest.

**

* * *

**

A/N

: What can I say? It's been a long time. It took me forever to word all of the toasts right and to figure out the sequence of events for them to handle the 20 ninjas invading the party, not to mention that my internet kept going down. I was without it for almost a month. Plus my computer was not working quite right. Sorry for the long toasts and chapter. But if you have read my previous fics, you are probably used to it by now. I also needed time to work on that verbal battle between Shin and Yoshiro. Also, we are almost to the end of this story. So, it is getting increasingly difficult to keep the chapters short and make everything complete. Well, what's next? You'll see, and hopefully enjoy. 


	20. Ch 20: Dancing Around the Issues

**Chapter 20 Dancing Around the Issues**

**Recap**: Imani, her father, her security, Kurogin and Shirokin 3D, and the kumi all helped 20 potential wedding crashers find the right wedding, but not without using a little force. Meanwhile, Shin and Yoshiro engaged in a verbal battle, which was interrupted before the result was decided. Speaking of verbal battles, there was no shortage of words used in some 40 toasts that took place.

* * *

So, where were we? Ah yes, this should be the very last of the unfortunate events, and it was brought on by the words, "I wouldn't miss the chance to give you this special present for the world." Enough with the narration, let's see what this special present is.

Two floors up in a back room, a group of twenty men some with bruises and bandages are discussing recent events with a motley crew of 30 other men. All are dressed in fully black outfits resembling ninjas.

"So let me get this straight. The wedding we tried to crash downstairs was a real wedding?" One of the group of 20 asked.

"Yes." Ken nodded.

"And you guys were hired to dress up as ninjas and crash it to take revenge on the foreign bride's maid?" The man asked another question.

"It was the maiden of honor. Actually, we wanted revenge on the maiden of honor and the bride, but I think the guy who hired us wanted revenge on the bride and groom's family only." Ken explained.

"And you ended up crashing the wrong wedding and instead crashed the anime wedding that we were supposed to crash. And then those people from the real wedding, who handed us our heads on a platter, found out about your plans to disrupt the wedding and ended up crashing the anime wedding and handing you your butts on a platter anyway?" The man asked again incredulous.

Ken nodded again. "Yep." Before the man could ask any additional questions, a series of phone rings interrupted him. Finally, Ken's phone rang, and one of Imani's security guards nodded.

"You're up." Imani's bodyguard nodded at Ken.

"Where are you guys? The boss is waiting for you and has already lost face because you are not here."

Ken responded. "Sorry, Eksuh san, tell your boss the deal is off."

"You can't call off the deal. Only we can call off the deal. Do you have any idea who you are dealing with? And what about getting revenge on that gaijin sensei and the bride? Didn't we do our part, getting you out of jail and getting you fake invitations and jobs as waiters here to crash this wedding and hurt the bride, her maiden of honor, the groom, and whoever else got in the way?" Eksuh san asked trying to keep his voice down and his emotions in check.

"We were getting out anyway, and now we got new jobs." Ken replied. "So whoever your boss is, send him our apologies. I'm sure Mr. Big or whatever his name is will be fine, and he'll forget all about this and us."

"Forget it? Do you know the Hongo family? They are big time in many businesses, both legitimate and not so legitimate. They have long memories and don't forget easily. That's why he waited 25 years to pick this event to get his revenge. Do you know how much trouble you caused and how much trouble you are in?" Eksuh san asked panicked.

"No, and I think the one in trouble is you not us because your boss never met any of us. I think you had better spend your time trying to come up with a plan B instead of wasting your time talking to us." Imani's bodyguard signaled for Ken to hang up.

"Got you." Her bodyguard smiled and said and talked into his earpiece.

"Hello?" Eksuh san called out. He called back but was told the phone was off. It was at that moment he saw his back-up plan walking around outside the reception hall seeking a way to sneak in to the reception.

**

* * *

**

Inside the ballroom

Hongo laughed jovially while staring at the door although inside he was seething. "Although I couldn't wait to express my debt to you, it seems we will all have to wait a moment longer as obviously the surprise is not ready yet. It is such a big surprise that even I was unprepared."

At that moment, the door burst open revealing a man brandishing a semi-automatic rifle and a string of bullets. He shot into the air.

"I'm sorry to crash your wedding, Mr. and Mrs. Sawada, but I have a little matter to settle with your family." The man called out.

Half of the crowd gasped and ducked, shocked while the other half reached inside jacket pockets and behind and underneath clothing for weapons of choice looking to their bosses for permission to proceed. Yankumi's eyes narrowed, and her face devilized as Shin stood in front of his bride covering her. Kekkon sama quickly grabbed the microphone and tried to calm things down. "S-sir, I-I think you have the wrong wedding, and besides isn't this something you can wait until a more opportune time to settle?"

He turned the gun on her. "What if I say no? You gotta problem with that?" Kekkon sama quickly shook her head. "I've got something to say to the man who put me in jail in his place, who took away 25 years of my life, who ruined my life. Does anyone else have a problem with that?" He pointed the gun around at everyone and many of them shook their heads, ducking and screaming.

"What if I say I do?" Yankumi's face devilized as she quickly pushed Shin out of the way, jumped over the table and off the dais where they were eating and began walking toward the man.

Shin just as quickly cleared the table, following Yankumi and grabbed her by the arm turning her back toward him. "Kumiko, no, I'll handle this." Shin said.

"Step aside, Shin, this is my wedding, and my day that he is ruining." She looked back at him seriously. He looked pained but heard someone clear their throat behind him. He turned around to look at Imani who nodded to let Yankumi go. Imani mouthed to Shin, "she needs this." He nodded and stood down.

Meanwhile, Hongo san, although pretending to look scared was secretly delighted. Well_, it's not the 30 ninjas, but this will work too_. "Ex-excuse me sir, this is an auspicious day for these two who are just starting their lives together, for the love of god have some respect."

The man pointed the gun toward Hongo. "That's exactly what I intend to do, to pay my respects, my last respects, that is, to the bride and groom who are going to remember starting their lives together on the day that one of their family members lost their life."

Yankumi was now in her "speech mode" and slowly walked in front of the man with the gun with her hands up. "Sir, I know you think that you have been done a disservice by my family, and I understand this, but right here and right now is not the time to do this. Please, let's not do this with all these katagi who might get hurt, and I assure you that you will have an audience with my family, with my grandfather, after everything is over." She looked over at her grandfather who nodded with a grim face.

The man who had slightly calmed down at first then frowned confused. "Your grandfather? Why would I want an audience with your grandfather unless you are marrying your uncle? It is your father-in-law that I have something against."

At that, Mrs. Sawada exclaimed "Oh my" and felt weak at the knees and closed her eyes as if to faint. She had to be supported by her daughter who helped her sit down.

"That is why I came to his heir's wedding. I wanted to hit him where it hurt the most in front of his own son and his new family just so they know what kind of man he really is."

Yankumi looked at him confused. "Eh? My father-in-law? You mean Sawada sama? Oh, well that's different." She spoke in a calm and less intense manner.

"Miiiikoooo." Imani spoke in a low voice and had a warning tone and disapproving look on her face.

"I – I mean," …. Yankumi paused searching for the right thing to say. "That, that is worse, especially since this is my new family." She hurried through her explanation and nodded confirming her own words.

Shin stepped up at that moment in between Yankumi and the man with the gun. "She's right. This is different because it is my family's problem. So, I'll handle this. There's no way that I will let my family cause my wife's family any distress what so ever."

Although Yankumi was pleased by Shin's standing up for his woman and hearing him call her his wife, she was also slightly insulted that he differentiated the two families. She pulled Shin back and stood in between Shin and the gun. "No, Shin, today I became a part of your family, a Sawada, and I will definitely defend my new family with all that I have."

Shin turned Yankumi around to look at him and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I know you will, but as your husband, it is my duty to protect the family. Your role as the wife is to stay behind me, support me and back me up from now on. Okay, Kumiko?" He rubbed her shoulders, kissed her on the cheek, and then turned around to face the man, moving her behind him.

Yankumi turned Shin around by the hand. "Just a minute, _**dear**_." She said through gritted teeth. "Are you saying that a wife can't back her husband up by standing up for her husband and taking care of something that she is more suited to do?"

"No, I'm saying that after all of the years of you protecting me and standing in front of me, it is time for you to let me protect you. Otherwise, why spend three years in the jungle facing wild animals and doing manual labor to build up my endurance and strength, why train with my wife's surrogate father who is built like a tree trunk and strong as an ox, and why go round after round after round with an acrobatic little doll, who is like the energizer bunny?" Shin asked.

"Who asked you to do all of that? I would have loved you just the same if you were still the same wiry little sniveling punk that used to interfere in my business all the time and save me? Who told you that you needed to be stronger anyway? It's not like …" Yankumi began, but was interrupted by the man holding the gun.

"HEY!" The man who crashed the wedding began. "You two can have your first little love spat later. In fact, you have the rest of your lives to be miserable together or not. Right now, I'm the one doing the talking here."

"SHADDUP!" Yankumi and Shin yelled together, glaring at the man.

"This is my wedding, my day, and the beginning of my marriage that you are ruining. So, if I want to fight with my husband on my day, that's my prerogative." Yankumi stood with hands akimbo, and her right eye began to twitch as she was one step from devilizing.

"As my wife said. So stay out of it!" Shin added intensely. He then turned back to Kumiko.

The man stared, shocked and blinked rapidly for a few seconds. Then he pointed the gun in the air and shot off a few rounds causing many of the guests to duck, scream, or faint. "Did you forget that I'm the one with gun?" He pointed the gun directly at the couple for emphasis.

Yankumi's face devilized as she stood right in front of the gun, and then she smirked. "And? You think that makes you so tough just because you're holding a gun? You think because you have a weapon that gives you the right to rudely interrupt our blessed, special day and make demands? You think having a weapon should force everyone to listen to you? Do you really think that you are the only one who has a gun or knows how to use one?" She cocked her head to the side. "Boyyyyys." She drawled slowly. As soon as she finished speaking about 100 men consisting of all the kumis, various security detail for the foreign and domestic dignitaries, policemen, and Imani's security force, all drew a variety of firearms and pointed it at the man.

He looked around in shock and afraid for a moment. Then he scowled, became angry, and took aim at Shin's father. "I don't care. Go ahead and shoot me if you like. You may hit an innocent bystander. Can you live with that? Well I can. I am not afraid to shoot because I might hit someone innocent. You can shoot me or kill me if you want. Go ahead and take my life. I have nothing to lose and nothing left to live for. In fact, my life was over 25 years ago thanks to Sawada Sama. So as long as I can take him out with me, I don't care if you kill me. I can still shoot him before you have a chance to do anything to me because none of you are faster than a bullet."

"Don't be so arrogant!" Yankumi yelled and kicked the gun out of his hand and him under the chin in an instant. Shin caught the gun and hit the man in the face, and across the jaw, knocking him down as all 100 men surrounded him with their guns pointed directly at him.

Yankumi stepped in between them. "Do you think having a weapon makes you superior? Are you an idiot? Just because your life hasn't been what you would have liked it to be, does that mean you can take someone else's life or blame someone else? You have to take responsibility for your own actions and stop blaming others. And even if they are to blame, what does it matter? You still have life left to live. Instead of blaming others, why don't you go do something with the rest of your life? People are only given a short time to be together and be happy on this earth, and sometimes it is even shorter than expected. It is too short to be unhappy and blame others. I'm sure you have someone that you want to be with or spend your time with or make happy. So why don't you go pursue your happiness instead of taking away everyone else's? As long as you are still breathing, you are still have life and still have a chance to obtain happiness. Just because an unfortunate event happened in your past and stalled your plans for some years doesn't mean that you still can't find happiness. Believe me, if you knew all of the unfortunate events associated with this wedding that I experienced this week alone, you would think there was no way that I could be happy. But despite those, I am happy." She turned and smiled toward Shin. "You probably have someone waiting on you to give them their happiness. If not, you can still find someone. We waited seven years to be together. Until today, that felt like an eternity. But now that we have gotten married, it feels as though the time flashed by in an instant. So why don't you go find someone to make the 25 years of your life that you have lost seem like the blink of an eye and leave all of us here to enjoy this auspicious day and occasion?"

As she finished, all the wedding guests stood up and gave her a hearty round of applause. Yankumi looked up and around surprised. "Eh?" She then chuckled nervously and nodded her head in thanks at the applause.

* * *

While all eyes were on Yankumi and Shin subduing the man with the gun (or so Hongo thought,) he used that moment to make his escape. What he didn't know was that the conversation Eksuh san had had earlier with Ken was not only on speaker, it was also recorded and broadcasted for all with an earpiece to hear, including the maiden of honor, whose eyes were trained on him the minute Yankumi threw the first kick. So when he exited the ballroom, he received the surprise of his life waiting for him.

One of the Kens smiled at him. "Hongo san, we've been expecting you. You have two choices. You can deal with the police or deal with the bride's family, and her family is a highly respected yakuza clan. You have heard of the Oeda clan? The choice is yours." The man quickly held out his hands to be placed in handcuffs and arrested. Ken, along with several policemen escorted Hongo san, Eksuh san, and the other man who had hijacked the wedding out and to the police station.

* * *

Meanwhile back in the ballroom, Kekkon sama was fretting over what to do. _They couldn't possibly blame me for this right? After all, it was Sawada sama's fault. It had nothing to do with me or the wedding arrangements. Plus, he has bodyguards. They should have been the ones to take care of this, right? They should take responsibility. No, wait, she's going to say that I should have screened the guest list better and made sure that none of his enemies were on the list. Great, my career is over for the second time today. It's not like I can do like the first time and say it was a play, or can I_.

Having devised a plan, Kekkon sama breathed a sigh of relief and headed toward the now vacated microphone. "Ladies, and gentlemen, why don't we give the bride and groom and everyone else another big round of applause for our second surprise play of the evening called "The Bonds of Family." Usually, the groom will prove how far he is willing to go for the bride, but this time we wanted the bride to show her fighting spirit for her new family and thus prove her loyalty to the new family. Although it is their special day, the bride and groom wanted a chance to put on a special performance for all of their guests since they of course could not do it during the ceremony. Thank you Yamaguchi sensei. Wasn't that wonderful ladies and gentlemen?" Everyone clapped as she exhaled again.

"Eh?" Both Yankumi and Shin exclaimed simultaneously.

"That is Sawada sensei for being nice enough to perform this play even on their wedding day." Kekkon sama smiled graciously at them, and they nodded, noting the correction. "Well that ends the special performances for today." _Lord, I hope so, she thought._ "With the exception of the dances. First we will have the happy couple dance their first dance as husband and wife."

**Eternally** by Utada Hikaru began playing and Shin walked over to Yankumi, bowed and then offered her his hand. She curtsied, smiled shyly and took his hand. He led her to the dance floor and in the dance. Shin was leading a nervous Yankumi to the first dance, but instead of holding her at arm's length, he had her wrapped tightly in his embrace. There was no space between them. Yankumi was looking down at her feet.

Shin whispered in her ear. "You don't have to look down, just follow me. I'll make sure that you don't falter."

Yankumi looked up at Shin. "It's not that. It's …" She looked away.

"Kuuumikooooo." He drawled in a sultry whisper.

She turned back to Shin exhilarated by the way he called her name. "Mmmm"

"Tell me what's the matter." Shin asked.

"It's … I'm sorry Shin for arguing with you just now. This is our wedding day. It's supposed to be the happiest day of our lives, and instead some gun-wielding punk interrupts, and we argue. What kind of way is that to start a marriage? Will we really be okay?" Yankumi looked into Shin's eyes troubled.

He smiled. "Kumiko, I know you were following your heart. I know you were doing what you passionately thought was right. It's like your students said you may not have the biggest" …

"Shin!" Yankumi blushed as Shin rubbed his chest against hers.

"But you have a big heart beneath them, which more than makes up for their small size. Actually, their size is perfect for me. Besides, I wasn't upset with you. I was excited by that passion of yours. I hope to see a lot more of that later on tonight." Shin lightly kissed her ear.

"Shinnnnn," she turned red, pulled away, and looked up at Shin. "Stop Shin, I'm being serious. I'm Sawada san for less than 2 hours, and already we have had our first fight. Can we really be alright like this?" She looked down again afraid to hear his answer.

Shin gave her his most brilliant smile, yet and cocked his head to the side. "Sawada san, we have nothing to worry about. You know why?" He looked down at Kumiko and lifted her chin up to have her face him as she shook her head. "It's because of three things. First, do you know what we were fighting about? Who should protect whom, or basically, who loves whom more?"

Yankumi recalled and smiled at that. "And two, our relationship began with a fight, and most of our relationship revolved around fighting. So, aren't we just doing what we know best and enjoy the most?"

Yankumi thought back to all of the times they had fought either with each other or side by side. She stopped when she recalled their very first fight. It was more a battle of wills than a physical or verbal battle. In fact there were no words or blows exchanged only a challenging glance, or more like glare. She recalled how they locked eyes and stared at each other daring the other to look away first. Shin had won that battle at their first meeting by rolling his eyes, yawning and walking away with the remainder of the student body, indicating he didn't care one way or another.

"And third …" Shin paused for dramatic effect waiting for Yankumi to take the bait.

She looked up waiting for him to continue. "Third?" Yankumi prodded him.

Shin moved next to her ear to whisper the next part. "And third, they say the best part of a couple fighting is making up. So instead of worrying, why don't you use that pretty little head of yours to think of ways to make it up to me tonight? I'll be looking forward to what you come up with, Ku … mi … ko." As he stressed each syllable of her name, he placed light kisses around her ear sending shivers down her spine and making her knees weak, which was perfect for Shin. He used that opportunity to draw her even closer to him as he supported her, effortlessly gliding them across the floor until the end of the song. Yankumi was so enraptured in Shin's embrace as they danced, that she had finished the dance before she had a chance to be nervous again. As they finished dancing, all applauded and commented on how they glided across the dance floor so gracefully and effortlessly. Even Kekkon sama was complimentary.

"Ladies and gentlemen wasn't that fantastic? They danced just like Fred and Ginger. You would never have known that they were amateurs." _Or that she just learned to dance this week_. Kekkon sama thought. "Next we have the bride dancing with her grandfather, and the groom will dance with his mother."

Kuroda escorted Shin's mother onto the dance floor and then to Shin as he took his place before Yankumi.

As the music began to play, Yankumi once again looked toward the floor. "Grandfather, I'm sorry about earlier. I – I should have found out all of the facts before assuming things and charging in."

At the same time, Shin's mother was using that opportunity to talk with Shin. "Shin, about your father's speech." His mother began.

Her grandfather looked at her sternly. "It's good that you know. Although I am glad to know that you will always defend your family no matter when and the circumstances, even on your wedding day. Yet, I am still angry with you. Do you know why?"

Shin shook his head. "You mean his little campaign speech? You don't have to say anything. I already know. Dad didn't mean what he said. It was just for the voters and the foreign dignitaries."

"It's because you are now part of a new clan, a new family. You cannot afford to take that lightly and act impetuously without considering your position and your duty as wife and future mother to the next generation of Sawadas and also the heir to the Oeda clan." Kuroda said sternly.

Shin's mother searched his eyes. "How did you know?"

"Grandfather." Kumiko looked up at him with a question on her face.

"Because the whole time he was speaking, he never once looked at me just at his audience. So, I knew it was a completely political speech." Shin rolled his eyes.

"Yes, granddaughter, even though you are now a Sawada, to the kumi you will always be the ojou of the Oeda clan, and as such you must protect your body and produce an heir fitting for the clan." Her grandfather answered her unspoken question.

"Grandfather, I apologize to you, to the kumi, and to the Sawadas for not thinking and respecting my role and mostly for insulting you by assuming that that man was talking about you." She lowered her head and her eyes.

He lifted her chin. "That is enough. Now, if you really feel sorry, if you really want to make it up to us, then you make sure you put all your effort in and use all of your strength, your passion, and your love tonight to produce an heir for both of our families, but don't hurt Shin too badly in the process, neh? You have a tendency to use too much strength some time."

"Grandfather?" Kumiko looked up at her grandfather and turned a deep shade of crimson.

"What about Kumiko?" His mother asked.

"Of course she doesn't know. She was overjoyed. To think, I had to lie to my wife on our wedding day. Leave it to Sawada sama to use a toast at my wedding to make a campaign speech." Shin remarked angrily. Then he brightened up. "I'll just have to make it up to her tonight over and over and over again."

His mother arched an eyebrow quizzically at Shin and then sighed. "Shin, I want you to know one thing. Your father prides himself on being a man of integrity."

"So?" Shin asked.

"So, your father would never say anything that could be proven false." Shin's mother explained.

"And?" Shin looked down at his mother.

"And, whatever he said tonight, there had to be some truth to it." His mother told him.

"It's not like you could prove otherwise." Shin remarked bitingly.

"Yes, but that also means that in the future, he'll make sure that whatever he said, he will try to live by." Shin's mother fondly placed a hair back in place on Shin's head.

"Hmph. We'll see." Shin remarked and then bowed to his mother as the song ended. Yankumi bowed to her grandfather, and he once again escorted Shin's mother off the dance floor.

Kekkon sama announced the next dance. "Now we will have the bride dance with her father-in-law and the groom will dance with someone from the bride's side to represent the bride's mother."

Kyou went over to Ishikawa sensei to lead her to the dance floor. She turned to Kyou surprised and shook her head shocked and resisted. Kyou leaned over to her. "Go ahead, the boss says that you were just as instrumental in helping her become the little lady she is today as any of the other birds, that is ladies in the clan." She looked over at Kuroda as he gave her a slight nod and smile and looked at Yankumi who was beaming from ear to ear and smiled. She nodded back nervously and followed Kyou's lead as he escorted her over to Shin. As she walked over to Shin, she felt daggers being glared into her from the stage but shook it off as the music began to play.

"Sawada san," Ishikawa sensei curtsied.

"Sensei," Shin bowed in return and they began dancing. Shin had a quizzical look on his face as they danced.

"Are you surprised that they picked me to represent Kumiko's mother?" Shin half nodded, leading her across the floor. "I'm just as surprised as you are."

Shin spoke up. "It's just that I had never met you before today, and I have met plenty of the clan aneesans and obasans. I thought for sure that they would pick someone from the clan and not a katagi."

She smiled and looked around him as they danced. "If you are unhappy with me, I'll trade places with one of them for you. It would seem that there are plenty of them that are salivating over the chance to dance with you." She moved back from Shin.

Shin smiled and tightened his grip on her hands. "Don't even think about it, sensei."

She laughed. "So you mean you never heard of me until today?"

Shin thought for a moment. "Yankumi always talked about what it meant to be a teacher, to mold the minds of young ones and shape them into becoming productive members of society, and she did mention that she had one teacher who she modeled, who was her role model. I also heard about the teachers that she didn't want to be like and what she thought the relationship should be between the teacher and student, how it was sacred. I suppose she had you in mind when she was mentioning her role model."

Ishikawa sensei smiled. "I wonder."

Meanwhile, Kumiko was dancing with Shin's father and having an awkward conversation. "Young lady, it would seem that I may have misjudged you according to all of the toasts that I heard about you from your students, your colleagues, your former teacher and others. They seem to hold you in high regard. I also suppose that I misjudged your intentions toward marrying my son and his intentions toward marrying you. I thought it was partly to have an insider in the political realm to help you cover up your family's dealings and gain additional access to people in high places. I thought Shin married someone from outside the law purely out of rebellion and out of spite. But I can see that you truly love my son, or was that really a play back there?"

"No, I love your son. I love Shin, and he loves me. That is real. That was real." Yankumi spoke although slightly upset about his comment toward her family.

"Then, I suppose I should thank you for that back there. You risked your life to protect my son, his family, our family, and your family. That took a considerable amount of courage and fortitude." Shin's father looked down at Yankumi.

Yankumi blushed and looked away. "Father-in-law, you don't have to thank me. It's what any daughter-in-law would do. It's what anyone loyal to their family would do. It is what anyone with a sense of responsibility would do."

"I said I should thank you. I didn't say that I am going to thank you." He looked down at her. She turned to look at him surprised.

"Father-in-law." Yankumi was confused.

"Although what you did took courage and saved us, it was also stupid and reckless. Now that you are part of this family, now that you have become our daughter-in-law, you're primary responsibility is to provide us with an heir. From now on, you let Shin protect you and the family, and you worry about bringing us an heir. Face it, we are not getting any younger, and we have been patiently waiting for Shin to bring us a grandchild. It's not like you are that young either."

"What did you say?" Yankumi's face clouded over.

"I mean you look much younger than you are, and you act much younger than your actual age …" Sawada sama tried to explain.

"Eh?" She asked.

"No, I mean even though you look young, and you act young, you must consider your body when having children. You want to have enough energy to be able to look after our grandchild, our son, and those students of yours." He explained.

"Oh, that is true. I hadn't thought of that." Yankumi calmed down and considered.

_Phew_. Shin's father relaxed, and they continued dancing.

Ishikawa spoke again after they had danced in silence for a moment. "Since they chose me to be the mother figure of Kumiko, then I suppose I should offer you what little bit of advice that I can on Kumiko. You must be patient with her, understanding and guide her. Remember that everything she learned, and she knows as a female, she learned from men and not just men, the kumi. She also has some very interesting ideas that she picked up here and there from the aneesans, obasans, and mama sans of hostess clubs. To be honest, her thoughts are more from a male perspective than a female perspective."

Shin smiled. "I know Sensei. That suits me just fine. I've had my share of dealing with women and one thing I know is that I don't understand women at all. So, it's actually easier to understand her, to read her, since her thoughts are more from a male perspective."

"Nevertheless, she is still a woman, no a lady. And you must treat her as such and respect her as such." Ishikawa warned.

Shin looked over at Yankumi and appraised her figure in the gown. "Oh believe me. I know that, and I will never let her forget that she is a woman, my woman." Shin smirked as Ishikawa sensei raised an eyebrow.

As the dance came to an end, Shin's father released Yankumi and bowed to her. "Young lady, thank you very much."

"Eh?" Yankumi curtsied. "You're welcome." Then she thought. "Ano, why are you thanking me?"

"For the dance, for protecting our family just then, and for making my son happy. Something I certainly could never do. Welcome to the family." He said the last part under his breath and quickly strode off the dance floor leaving a very surprised Yankumi.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we will now have the wedding party dance." Kekkon sama announced.

Shin hurriedly went to his bride, who was still surprised. "Kumiko, what's the matter?" He asked as they began dancing. "What did my father say to you?"

"He – he thanked me." Yankumi replied.

"And, what else did he say to you?" Shin asked wary.

Yankumi thought for a moment and then scowled. "He said the same thing that my grandfather said to me and everyone keeps saying to me, to hurry up and make a baby before I get too old." She paused and then got a determined look on her face. "Shin, no matter how many times we have to try, no matter how long it takes, we must make a baby."

Shin smiled and leaned down close to her ear. "I so agree. Let's go get started right now." He held her closer and danced her toward an exit.

"Right!" Yankumi agreed and followed Shin with the same determined look. Then she stopped and thought. "Wait Shin, we can't go now. We have to wait until after we finish the dance and whatever else we have to do. We wouldn't want Kekkon sama interrupting us." Yankumi stopped and turned back around.

"Whatever my Kumiko wants." Shin led her back to the center of the dance floor. "But I will definitely work hard on making a baby. If we have to work all night and all day every day, we'll make a baby."

Meanwhile, Uchiyama smiled at Imani as they danced. "So, I guess you and your boyfriend made up?"

Imani smiled up at Uchi. "Yes, thanks to you. Thank you very much."

Uchi shook his head. "It's no problem. I was just doing my job. After all, I am the best man. Like I said before, what else is the best man for but to take care of the maiden of honor?"

Imani frowned, slightly confused. "But I thought the best man's job was to take care of the groom, toast him, and make sure that he makes it to the wedding and doesn't run away?"

Uchi shook his head. "Maybe for normal weddings, but not this one. I hate to even think of the unspeakable things that Yankumi said that she would do to me if I did not take care of you properly." He shivered involuntarily. "Still, it was my pleasure and my honor to take care of you. And I meant it when I said any time even after the wedding feel free to contact me when you need a best man again or for anything."

"Really?" Imani asked wide-eyed. "For anything?" He nodded. "Even listening to me talk about my boyfriend?" He nodded. "Even me asking you for advice about your feelings and experience?" He nodded. "Even staying up all night with me and sharing my bed?"

"Especially that." Uchi smiled.

"Even if I sleep naked?" Imani asked.

Uchi turned red and paused dancing to cover his nose and put his head back afraid of an imminent nose bleed. When he was sure it was under control he began dancing with her again but did not look her in the face. "Uhm, maybe not that. I don't think my heart could take that, and besides judging from the glares that I am getting already just dancing with you, that is not likely to happen any time soon."

"Glares?" Imani looked around to see Tsuchi eyeing Uchi seriously, along with her dad, Odagiri, and even Yankumi was no longer paying attention to Shin, which caused him to pull her even closer and grind against her. That restored her full attention to Shin for the remainder of the dance.

"Next, we will have our groom dance with the maiden of honor, and our bride dance with the best man as our wedding party will switch partners also." Kekkon sama announced.

Shin smirked and then bowed as he approached Imani, who curtsied in response. "Mmmmmhmm," Shin let out a low sound as he perused Imani's dress.

"Nani?" Imani asked already aware of what Shin was thinking.

"I know that in some cultures it is customary for the bride to change into another dress for the reception, but I wasn't aware that there was a custom for the maiden of honor also to change dresses for the reception."

"How droll." Imani rolled her eyes and smirked.

"Still, you look very cute in that cape and hood." Shin smirked at her.

"Shut up." Imani replied and rolled her eyes again.

As Yankumi danced with Uchi she complimented him. "Uchiyama has become so mature and is such a caring person, now." Yankumi smiled. "I want to thank you for taking such good care of my little sister these past few days. She must have troubled you." Yankumi smiled.

"Uh uh. It was no trouble at all. It was my pleasure. Besides, it was my job as best man. What is the best man for after all?" Uchi smiled down at Yankumi.

"No, but I'm glad that Shin chose Uchiyama as his best man. With Uchiyama I don't have to worry about him telling anyone about him sharing a bed with my little sister or spreading rumors about it intimating that something happened when nothing really happened. … Right!" Yankumi tightened her grip on Uchi's hands as she spoke through gritted teeth.

"Hai." Uchi answered, nodding.

"If it's Uchiyama, I don't have to threaten to dislocate a body part or castrate him to keep him from ever mentioning this morning to anyone, neh?" Yankumi smiled through gritted teeth and was now crushing Uchi's hand and shoulder as they danced.

He gulped, grimaced and nodded all at once. "Hai." He whispered weakly.

"Good, I'm so glad that Uchi takes his best man duties seriously, and that I can trust him." Yankumi smiled again. Uchi weakly smiled and led Yankumi across the floor.

* * *

Meanwhile Shin cleared his throat trying to gain Imani's attention. He cleared it again a second time only louder. Imani looked at him then. "What's the matter Shin? Is there something in your throat? Do you need some water?" Imani asked innocently.

"No, you know exactly what I'm waiting for." Shin hinted.

"Three questions again." Imani asked, sighing.

"I think it will take more than three this time." Shin corrected. "Whenever you're ready."

"Ano, I'm not sure that you really want to know. I mean. I don't want to distract you from what you will be doing later tonight. That would be unfair to Miko. You need to make sure that you give 100% of your attention to her and satisfy her every need." Imani tried to circumvent the conversation.

Shin chuckled and looked directly into Imani's eyes. "Believe me. There is nothing more important to me than satisfying her, and there is nothing that will distract me from giving her my all. By tomorrow, she will be full of my…."

"Niisan!" Imani interrupted scoldingly.

"Love." He finished. "I was going to say love."

"Sure you were." Imani frowned unconvinced, and then cocked her head to the side. "Shin, are you feeling okay?"

"I feel perfectly fine, and don't think that you are distracting me from our other discussion." Shin smirked.

Imani remarked skeptically. "Fine, where do I start?" She asked.

"From wherever you want to." Shin replied.

Imani sighed. "Okay, well the guys who tried to kidnap me from my club that time after Yankumi's Kurogin 3D class graduated and who stabbed Tsuchi, along with some of Kuduo's guys who beat up Kurogin 3D and kidnapped me that time for my stalker who just took me hostage and I testified against in China who kidnapped the little girl who I had to put down were hired to disrupt the wedding by the guy who gave the last toast. He also told the guy with the gun who wanted revenge on your father about the wedding as a backup because he wanted revenge on your father. Anyway, they crashed the anime wedding upstairs instead of yours. Fortunately, I ran into the guy that used to work for my club, although he only got a job there to let the guy who wanted to kidnap me in. I ran into him and found out about their plan before it happened. So, I got the groomsmen, Kurogin 3D, and the kumi to help me stop them before they crashed the wedding, but the guy who was in charge of the anime wedding wanted them to crash the wedding because he thought that they were the pretend ninja actors he hired to crash the anime wedding. Those were the guys who mistakenly tried to crash this wedding who you helped us stop. Anyway, they crashed the anime wedding and we ended up helping the Knights of Teledara, the dark planet, a manga featured at the anime convention, whoop those guys which the guy in charge of the wedding taped. He loved the fight and so did all of the fans because they thought it was all an act. So he offered us a job and we turned it down, but the guys who just got out of prison took the job because I told them it was either that or go back to prison. Then we came back downstairs in time to stop the ninja actors from crashing the wedding. So when the guy making the toast saw that didn't work, he got the other guy, the guy with the gun to come in and try to kill your father. I don't think that the other guy knew him or plotted with him. Anyway, so that's how it happened. Does that answer all of your questions?" Imani finally paused to take a breath at the end of her lengthy expression having danced a tango simultaneously.

Shin continued nonplussed. "The cape and the hood?"

"Oh, that. Well, some fans of Tsuchi's manga, Fan Boy and Gaijin Sensei, made it because they wanted to see my character, Gaijin Sensei in something white since Tsuchi always dressed my character in dark clothes. They gave it to me as a gift." Imani explained.

Shin nodded, smirked, and bowed to Imani again as the song ended. "Thank you."

Imani looked confused. "For what? The dance? Answering your questions?"

"Yes, and for being just like your sister through and through." Shin planted a kiss on Imani's forehead.

Imani curtsied. "You're welcome." She returned the kiss on the cheek.

"Just one more thing." Shin began. Imani arched an eyebrow. "Can I borrow the cape and hood?"

Imani now really looked confused. "For what?"

"I want to see how Kumiko looks in it. I can just picture it now." Shin looked toward his bride with a lascivious glance.

Imani frowned. "But the dress is torn and tattered. Besides it is made just for my size. I don't think she'll be able to fit it."

"Who said anything about her wearing the dress too or any dress for that matter?" Shin asked smiling.

Imani arched one eyebrow again and looked at Shin. She then felt his forehead. "Are you sure you're feeling okay?" She asked him.

"I'm fine. So how about it? Can I borrow the cape and hood? At least for the night." Shin asked.

Imani shook her head. "You don't need it. The kumi and the clan aneesans have something special for you. Oh, that's right. I have a message for you from them." She reached for Shin's ear and whispered something.

Shin smiled and hurried quickly to finish all his dancing responsibilities. He went over to his sister as Yankumi danced with Tsuchi. The bride and groom continued to dance with each of the groomsmen and bridesmaids respectively.

* * *

When it was Tsuchi and Imnani's time to dance, Tsuchi made sure to hold her close in a possessive manner. Imani arched an eyebrow and slightly pulled back from Tsuchi. She looked up at him seeing the consternation on his face.

"Sooooo, I take it that there is something you want to ask me." Imani began.

"Well, now that you mention it. What were you and Uchiyama senpai discussing as you danced? You two seemed awfully close." Tsuchi asked.

Imani slightly scowled in surprise not expecting that question. "Oh, I was just thanking him for being such a _good_ listener and helping me out with my problems when I was worried that my boyfriend might dump me for a girl with more experience or might cheat on me because I want to walk the virgin road."

Now Tsuchi gazed intensely into Imani's eyes. "Is that all you talked about? Because it sure seemed that you took a long time thanking him, and you were giggling and blushing a lot. Plus he seemed to be a bit … ahhh … how shall I say it? He seemed to be a bit excited about something you said."

Imani now stiffened slightly as she danced. "Yeah, I'm sure." Imani paused. "Although he did say that he was just doing what he promised Miko that he would do, take care of me, and that he didn't mind and that any time I needed I could rely on him to lend me an ear, a shoulder or a bed."

"He what?" Tsuchi's face turned dark as he looked at Imani's bright innocent smile.

"I'm just teasing, but I did ask if I could sleep with him if need be. He said it would be his pleasure." Imani looked at Tsuchi's brooding face growing darker. "Joking." She said lightly. "But is that all you wanted to ask me? It's not like we are going to get too many more opportunities to talk tonight without being disturbed." Imani prodded. Tsuchi looked confused. "You don't have any other questions to ask? Say, about a certain offer I made to you earlier?"

Tsuchi stood upright and then flushed at the thought. "Uh, y-yeah about that. Were you serious about that or were you just telling me what I wanted to hear? Because you usually have everything prepared. But you said that we could either go to your room or my room. And you know that your father and security team would stop us before we got too far. I mean. I don't doubt you, but usually you have thought of everything. And you said that that time I surprised you when you returned from the states the first time was how you pictured our first night would be. So …?"

Imani took out her cell phone from a hidden compartment and searched for a message. She then gave it to Tsuchi to see. He looked at the pictures. "I booked us two suites in a hotel not too far away. They have a hot tub. We were supposed to have champagne, roses, chocolate covered strawberries, a bubble bath with rose petals, etc. That's what I meant when I said your room or mine. They are under bogus names. That is the confirmation text, and if you go to the next text, it shows a cancellation confirmation. So yes, I was serious, and yes, I had it all planned. Why? Do you have any regrets?" Imani cocked her head to the side with a smile.

Tsuchi sighed and began to nod and then shook his head. "No, I have no regrets, and it is not because I don't want to do that with you. Because believe me, if I didn't think that Yankumi, your dad, and your security team would hand me my b…"

"Hikaru!" Imani had a scolding tone.

"Head, I was going to say head on a platter. If I didn't think they would hand me my head on a platter, then I would pick you up, toss you over my shoulder, take you to a room and show you how I feel about you. But you're not ready for that yet. So, the only regret I would have is moving too fast or taking you to a level that you are not comfortable with or ready for. It's been a year-and-a-half. I can wait another year or so until we are married." Tsuchi leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

"You can?" Imani asked and Tsuchi nodded. "Even if I tell you that I am ready?" Tsuchi nodded again. "Even if I tell you that I had planned to ..." She whispered in his ear causing blood to rush both north and south simultaneously. He then backed up from her and was grateful when the song ended. He needed a moment to calm down. Imani smirked, left, looked back at him, blew him a kiss and winked. He blushed even more.

* * *

When it was Imani and Noda's turn to dance, Imani complemented him. "You know you have some pretty slick moves."

"Oh, you like my fancy footwork on the dance floor?"

"No, not those moves, I was talking about upstairs earlier. Thank you for helping with that by the way." Imani bowed her head slightly.

"If you like these moves, I could show you other moves that I have." Noda suggested.

"Really? I'm interested in seeing what types of moves you want to show me." Imani spoke.

"Really, then why don't we step outside and get to know one another a little better, and then I'll teach you some of my moves." Noda flirted with Imani out of habit.

"Okay." Imani agreed surprising Noda. "I know that dancing isn't exactly your forte. So, why don't we spend a little quality time together?" Imani turned and led Noda toward the door.

"Eh? Seriously?" Noda asked. Imani nodded. "But what about your boyfriend?"

Imani looked over at him. "He's cool about it."

"Then what about Yankumi?" Noda asked turning toward her.

"Oh, she's too busy worrying about not stepping on anyone's feet and not tripping to notice." Imani nodded toward Yankumi.

"Well how about your father or your security?" Noda asked.

"Oh, don't worry about them. I can handle them myself." Imani explained. "Let's go." She grabbed his hand and led him out. As she opened the door and let him pass first, she turned back around and signaled to all those he mentioned, and they all nodded. They were constantly watching the door for them to return and try as they may they could not hear what was happening over the music. It wasn't until the end of the song and Imani returned with an injured Noda that they had an inkling of what happened.

Imani quickly asked for ice and put some on his eye, his cheek, and his lip. Imani explained. "I don't know what happened. It seems that Noda san tripped and ran into a brick wall with his cheek, his eye, his lip, and his stomach." They all laughed as they knew that Imani had remained true to her word. Noda was relieved that the dances with all of the bridal party were finally over so that he could sit the next set of dances out and rest.

He wasn't the only one relieved. Shin was hoping that they could finish their responsibilities and quickly retire to their room.

And the narrator thought this would be a good opportunity to take a break from the story before the remaining events happen. Although I mentioned that this would be the last unfortunate event for the couple for this wedding, I didn't say it would be the last event nor did I mention that it would be the last battle that would take place. Interested? Then stay tuned.

* * *

(**A/N**): Yes, I know. It's been a real long time, but I tend to have trouble with getting dialogue just right when it involves a lot of people at a social event. I like to focus on the dancing, but I thought this time it made more sense to focus on the conversations than the dancing. That, plus I was trying to make the chapters short, while keeping all of the events together. When I saw that wasn't happening, I decided to break up the chapters. Lastly, I wanted to try to finish everything and load all of the chapters. Well, that didn't happen either. Actually, the ending is written, but some of the middle parts are not. But I finally have more time to write. So, look forward to more chapters from me, on this and other fan fics. Enjoy.


	21. Ch 21: The Great Escape

**Chapter 21 The Great Escape**

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Gokusen, but I want to borrow it for a little while.

**RECAP**: The person who wanted revenge was finally revealed and captured after the Black Cross and Nekomata members refused to work for him and a gun-toting guy interrupted the toasts. The dancing began.

* * *

Although Shin had completed the dancing for the bridal party and was ready to take his bride and go, unfortunately for him (_hence the title_) Kekkon sama announced that the dance floor was now open to all guests. Not only was he inundated with a long line of dignitaries' wives, clan obasans, and clan hostesses wanting to dance with him, but there was also a line of former students wanting to dance with Yankumi keeping him from being with his bride.

To Yankumi's surprise, Odagiri was the first of her former students to ask her to dance. "Have I told you how beautiful you look today, Yankumi?" He asked shyly.

"Thank you." She responded just as shyly.

"Yankumi, I have something that I want to say to you, actually something that I want to ask you if you don't mind." He began cautiously.

"Of course not, you will always be my precious student, and as your teacher I wish to be there for you whenever you need me." Yankumi replied smiling.

"Well, about that. I would like to change that relationship." Odagiri looked her in the eyes.

"Eh? What do you mean? You were my student in the past, and I will always see you that way. How can we possibly change that?" Yankumi asked.

"Well, like how you see Sawada senpai. I don't want you to see me as a student anymore." Odagiri explained.

"Eh, like Shin?" She was confused, but then realization struck. "You mean … you mean _that_?" Her face went into panic mode, and she began stuttering. "That, Ryo, I am really flattered, but I'm a married woman today, and I don't think it is appropriate."

"What has that got to do with anything? I don't care about you being married. This is between you and me. It doesn't concern your marriage." Odagiri frowned.

"Of course it does. How can I be unfaithful to my husband?" Yankumi asked.

"Eh?" Odagiri replayed their conversation. "Oh, no, not like that. I was talking about you becoming my mentor. You see, I am considering becoming an English teacher, and I was hoping you could mentor me on how to reach the students and get them to trust me."

"Oh, oh, ohhhhhh." Yankumi said. "You mean you are not in love with me and want to have an affair with me?"

Ryo, looked away, chuckled, and then looked back at Yankumi. "No, not in a million years would I ask that of you."

"Eh, a million years, you say?" She spoke calmly, which meant that she was livid. "Then why did you confess to me a few years back? Have you forgotten that?"

"No, and I meant it then, but you are a married woman, and although my life could be better, I still value it. I like things like living and breathing." Odagiri responded.

"Heh? You are afraid of what my family will do to you if they found out you propositioned their precious Ojou?" Yankumi asked smugly.

"Eh, no. I hadn't even thought about them." Odagiri said. "You would think they would be the first I'd think about."

"Then you are afraid of what my husband will do to you?" Yankumi smiled when she said husband.

"No, I am more afraid of what your little sister will do to me." They both looked over at Imani who arched an eyebrow in their direction at that exact moment. "I was there when she took out her ninja stalker, remember? And you should have seen what she did to Tsuchi's stalker."

"Eh, Tsuchi's stalker?" Yankumi asked.

"Yes, from his job. You didn't know?" Odagiri asked.

"No, she never told me about it, but I'm going to find out about it right now." She smiled through gritted teeth and turned to leave Odagiri.

"Uh uh, at least wait until after our dance." Odagiri said, stepping in front of her and grabbing her hands once again. The rest of the dance she spent eyeing Imani and when she managed to grab Imani's attention she scowled at her and pointed two fingers at her eyes and then pointed toward Imani indicating she was watching her. Imani shrugged and looked at Ryo who returned the shrug. When the dance was over, Yankumi, along with a long line of men, headed toward Imani and Shin and Yabuki headed toward Yankumi. To Shin's dismay, Yabuki reached her first.

"Hey there gorgeous." Yabuki gave Yankumi the once over. "So, I guess you weren't lying about your three sizes that time when we did the mock interviews in class." He smiled.

"No, of course I wasn't." Yankumi was indignant.

"Yes, you are usually truthful. So, can I ask you a question?" Yabuki asked.

"Of course. Just like I told Ryo, you guys are always gonna be my precious students. So ask me anything." She smiled. "As long as it isn't too personal." She added.

"Okay, that time Ryo confessed to you, how did you feel about it?" Yabuki asked.

"Eh, what do you mean?" Yankumi asked.

"Were you happy about it?" Yabuki asked.

Yankumi thought for a while before she answered. "Of course I was happy. Anytime anyone develops those feelings for you and confesses to you, you will be a little bit happy. Considering how Ryo felt about teachers at first, hating and distrusting them, I was even happier that he could develop feelings like those for teachers. But I was also surprised that he had developed those feelings for me and especially since I was his teacher. I was sure that he felt that way about Imani and not me. So, it surprised me when he confessed to me. But I also was not surprised since students and teachers spend so much time together, and students learn to trust and rely on teachers. It is not uncommon that students began to look to their teachers and develop those types of feelings for them, especially in their adolescent years."

"Is that all? You weren't unhappy or angry?" Yabuki prodded.

Yankumi thought. "Yes, I guess that is true too. I guess I did feel a little unhappy since I could not respond to his feelings or properly consider them since we had a student teacher bond. And that bond is not to be forsaken."

"Then what is all this? Weren't you and sempai in a teacher-student relationship at first?" Yabuki asked.

"Yes, but I when I think back, I don't think I ever taught Shin anything. Not only was he super smart, but he was always teaching me things. So, it has always been Shin as the teacher and me as the student. That is why it is okay, and that is why I can respond to his feelings, and that is why I can be his bride and let him teach me even more." Yankumi nodded and smiled.

Yabuki arched one eyebrow, wondering if Yankumi was aware of the connotations of her statement. "So you feel both happy and unhappy, surprised and not surprised, when a student confesses to you?"

"Don't forget angry." Yankumi reminded him.

"Angry? Why?" Yabuki asked.

"Well, in Odagiri's case it was because he took advantage of the situation to steal my precious kiss. He knew that I was already confused by Shin's confession and upset over the events with Hyuuga, and then he has to up and confess to me. To top it all off, he steals a kiss from me. So, yeah I was angry." Yankumi began to raise her voice and frown.

"Geez, calm down Yankumi. We're at your wedding, one of the happiest days in your life, remember? You should be smiling." Yabuki smiled at her.

"Oh, oh, yes." She smiled.

"One more question for you." Yabuki began. Yankumi nodded. "How would you have felt if I confessed, say the same day or maybe before your wedding?"

"You?" Yankumi looked shocked. "But you're a playa'. I would think you were toying with me."

"What if I were serious?" Yabuki gave her an intense look.

"Well, if it was that day, I probably wouldn't have taken you seriously. I probably would have uppercut you." She stated after thinking. "If it was the day before yesterday, I would have definitely knocked you down with an elbow to the face, stomped on your gut, and then put you in a headlock until you passed out from oxygen deprivation because five confessions in the same day is the maximum I can stand before I go postal."

Yabuki cringed. "Then I guess it is a good thing you will never hear a confession from me." He bowed to Yankumi and left as the song ended. _Oh well, I should have already known the answer. So, I don't regret not confessing._

At that point Shin looked for his bride, but was curtailed by his father introducing one of the foreign dignitaries' wives for him to dance with as Yankumi was scooped up by Baba Sensei. In fact for the next 30 minutes Shin was constantly barraged with dance requests from foreign dignitaries and the clan obasans and aneesans, which was unfortunate for him because it allowed Yankumi to be pursued by former students, not to mention former potential rivals including Baba sensei, Kujo sensei, Kashiwagi san, and other members from other clans who also admired Ojou's strength.

When Shinohara asked Yankumi to dance she was slightly hesitant at first. "Yamaguchi sensei, may I have the honor of a dance?"

Yankumi arched one eyebrow. "Yamaguchi?"

"Eh, no, that is Sawada sensei. May I?" He held out his hands, and she accepted cautiously. "I want to apologize for my behavior the other day. I am sorry for the way I behaved and if I made you feel uncomfortable."

"You should be sorry. What if Kikuno found out? How do you think she would feel?" Yankumi asked looking over at Kawashima sensei.

"She wouldn't believe it. She still has a hard time believing that you managed to snag Sawada considering how inept you are. Her words, not mine." Shinohara hurriedly explained.

"She does does she?" Both Shinohara and Yankumi glanced over at Kawashima sensei who caught their eye at that moment, and she smiled and winked at them. Yankumi smiled back at her through gritted teeth.

"But I'm not surprised." Shinohara captured Yankumi's attention once again.

"Eh?" Yankumi looked at him puzzled.

"That that kid pursued you that is. I am not surprised since he told us his intention that day we played kick the can after you returned to teach at Shirokin. He was one of four rivals who declared their intentions that day." Shinohara said.

"Four rivals?" Yankumi asked.

"Yes, that kid, myself, Kashiwagi, my partner at that time, and Tetsu." Shinohara relayed.

"Eh, Tetsu?" She shook her head and chuckled. "Don't be ridiculous, Tetsu is like family. You must have misunderstood. He probably meant that he would protect me as the clan ojou from suitors."

"No, you misunderstood his feelings for you all this time." Shinohara shook his head and then nodded over in Tetsu's direction

Yankumi followed Shinohara's gaze to see Tetsu being fussed over by Shiratori sensei while staring longingly in their direction as they danced.

"See?" Shinohara commented looking at Tetsu and then back at Yankumi, who turned to look at him flustered. "He is looking at you longing to be in my shoes."

She then smiled and shook her head. "No, he is just wishing that he could use his legs and dance in your place that is all. He doesn't have feelings for me, at least not those types of feelings."

"Okay, as you say. But that kid definitely had feelings for you then as you can see. But I was surprised that you reciprocated those feelings. I thought …" He paused. Yankumi looked up at him confused. "Well I thought at the time that you had feelings for me. That you were attracted to me."

Yankumi considered for a while before answering. "It is true that at that time, I was attracted to you. And the last time you came to warn me and my student about the gambling ring owner wanting revenge also, I was still attracted to you at that time. You are still an attractive man, but attraction and love are different. Attraction is only face value, literally. But love is deep within. It is what makes you see a boy and former student as a man." Yankumi looked at Shinohara seriously. "Attraction means you like to look at that person. Love is what makes you look at and for that person and always watch that person even if they are not watching you." Yankumi looked over at Shin who was staring right at her. She smiled dreamily at him, and he winked at her.

"What if I were to tell you that I was watching you, although you were looking at him at the time?" Shinohara asked.

"Then I would say that by that time, it was too late for you and me. But it isn't too late for you and someone else." She looked over at Kawashima sensei again. He followed her gaze and nodded. "Besides, Yuuta needs a father, and you and he get along well." Yankumi turned back to Shinohara as they danced. "She's been watching you all along." Yankumi smiled, and then frowned. "Speaking of which, there is someone else I am supposed to be watching right now." She looked over at Imani, who was talking to Kurogin 3D at a table. Imani shivered involuntarily and looked on the dance floor to find Yankumi glaring at her. At that point, the song ended, and Yankumi turned to leave, but Shinohara grabbed her arm and pulled her back to face him.

"Thank you for the dance Sawada sensei." He bowed. She returned his bow and went to find Imani, but Odagiri approached Imani to dance as Uncle Tenkai asked Yankumi to dance. He tripped as he bowed to her, and she caught him, which forced her to dance with him as a result.

Odagiri pressed the back of Imani's knees with his own causing her to lose balance momentarily. She turned around on alert ready to defend herself only to find Odagiri smiling at her. She shook her head. "Would you do me the honor of a dance little white riding hood?" He added at the end as she nodded, and he grabbed her hand and led her to the dance floor. "So, I take it that you and Tsuchi made up?"

Imani arched one eyebrow quizzically. "What makes you think that there is a reason for us to make up?"

"Because if I were your boyfriend, and I saw what happened on the video tape, even though I know that it was fake, and it saved my life, I would still have a hard time forgetting the scenes at the karaoke bar, in the elevator, and on the bed in the love motel." Odagiri looked down at her.

"You don't think he would be able to forget or let the memory of the stalker with a knife to your throat cast aside all other memories?" Imani asked.

Odagiri shook his head. "Case in point." He turned her head toward Tsuchi's direction to find him ignoring the girl he was dancing with and staring in their direction instead.

Imani waved at Tsuchi, winked, and blew him a kiss. Tsuchi smiled and turned his attention to the young lady finally. Then she turned back to Odagiri. "I see your point."

"So, I guess I can forget about those two dates, then huh?" Odagiri asked sounding dejected.

"Eh, why is that?" Imani asked.

"What, are you oblivious?" He turned her back to look at Tsuchi who was smiling but still watching them.

"What's he got to do with anything? I made you a promise, and I intend to keep it. I don't care what anyone says or thinks." Imani voiced her determination.

"Well, I do care, especially what Tsuchi thinks. So, I'm alright either way." Odagiri expressed.

"Well, it's not alright with me. We're going on those two dates." Imani paused and then continued. "But, we may have to have a third person attend." She hinted. "Especially considering the looks that I am getting."

Odagiri laughed. "I can live with that."

"I'm sure you can. What man wouldn't like to go on a date with two women?" Imani teased.

Odagiri nodded and then looked up in shock. "Eh, two women? What do you mean? I thought you were talking about Tsuchi, or are you going to have him cosplay?" He pictured it and cringed.

"No! Of course not. I'm talking about the other person giving me looks." This time Imani turned his head to face Yankumi who was giving her evil looks.

Odagiri frowned and then recalled. He smiled and then commented nonchalantly. "I wonder what that could be about."

Imani shook her head. "I don't know. I wonder if she found out about China."

"I'm sure that is not it." Odagiri said sheepishly.

"Come to think of it she started giving me evil looks while she was dancing with you." Imani asked. "Did she mention anything when she danced with you?"

"Noooo, not about China." Odagiri commented. "We had other things to discuss."

"Speaking of which, did you tell her about your teaching internship?" Imani asked.

Odagiri was relieved that she had changed the topic. "Uhm, somewhat?"

"Somewhat? You did tell her where you would be teaching, didn't you?" Imani asked.

"I told her that I would be teaching, but not where. We have to leave some mystery for the first day of school." He smirked. (**A/N** Watch the Gokusen movie.) Shortly after that the dance ended.

Yankumi headed for Imani, but was stopped by Yoshiro. "My lovely Kumichou, would you do me the honor of a dance?" He kissed her hand. She giggled, blushed, and nodded. Shin was seething and about to go over there to interrupt when his father introduced him to yet another dignitary's daughter to entertain. Shin was perusing Yoshiro's actions closely.

"So, I take it your h, ano, Sawa, er no, Shin." Yoshiro was not ready just yet to acknowledge Shin's relationship with Yankumi. "That is, I take it he's preparing to take on his role as your protector."

Yankumi frowned confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that Shin stepped in and filled his role by your side admirably back there for a first time, or do you wish to convince me that that so called event that occurred during the toasts was really a play?" He smirked at her.

"O-of course it was j-just …" Yankumi stammered until Yoshiro placed a finger on her lips to interrupt her.

"Now, now, this is Yoshiro kun, your childhood friend you're talking to. I know when my Kumichou is in a real situation and when she is not. I just wanted to say that Shin handled the situation admirably (pause) for his first time." Yoshiro let his words sink in as he led Yankumi around the dance floor.

Yankumi shook her head. "I don't understand what you are trying to say."

Yoshiro smiled and pinched Yankumi's cheek. "Ah, Kumichou as clueless as ever, I am trying to pay a compliment to your … your Shin about how he stepped up to protect you, or did he only do that because it involved his family?"

Yankumi smiled slightly and shook her head. "Yoshiro kun, Shin does not only stand up for his family, he stands up for all those he cares about and anyone who is weak, even if he doesn't know them." She thought back to the incident in middle school of when he hit a teacher for bullying a student and not apologizing for falsely accusing the student of stealing. "And as far as his role as my protector, that is not his first time. Since we met, he has always been by my side, even when I didn't want him to or know that he was there. He has always been watching me and over me." She smiled dreamily and thought of all the times that he had come to her rescue. "I guess this is a role he had been preparing to fill for years. It was only a short while ago that I acknowledged him and let him take his proper place by my side."

Yoshiro had a thoughtful expression on his face. "Is that so?"

"Yes, I remember that one time when I tried to save a student who fell off the roof of the school, but I lost my grip, and he caught both of us. And then there was that time …" Yankumi went on to recount several times when Shin saved her as they danced.

When the dance ended, Yoshiro leaned down and laid a lingering kiss on Yankumi's cheek. "Goodbye, Kumichou. Thank you for the dance. It was quite enlightening. I guess I have to leave you in the hands of your husband." He smiled, nodded his head at Shin, and left.

Shin strode up and grabbed his wife's hand. He had closely monitored their dance and bristled at the intimacy Yoshiro was displaying toward his wife. So when the dance ended Shin decided he had had enough. He strode over toward his wife ignoring all of the people trying to waylay him from his objective. He arrived just in time to see Yoshiro leave but not in time to stop him from planting a kiss on his wife. Shin grabbed Yankumi's hand possessively and strode over toward Kekkon sama. He felt that he could no longer wait for the reception to be over to be with his bride. So, he put a plan into action. "Kekkon sama, what is left for the bride and groom to do before we can go to our honeymoon suite?" He asked her directly.

She blushed slightly at his directness. "Well, there is the bouquet toss by the bride and the garter toss by the groom. I guess that is all. We will sort out all of your gifts and cards and the bride and groom have to say thank you to all of their guests in attendance."

"Is that all? Well then, let's get this over with or would you like to risk having to make up a third play?" Shin stated looking at his watch.

"Definitely not. The sooner it is over the better. I – I mean the better it is for you to start your life together." She nodded and consulted with her staff via hand phone.

Then, Kekkon sama once again went to the stage as the song ended and called for everyone's attention. "Excuse me. May I have everyone's attention? Now it is time for another western tradition, the bridal bouquet toss. So I need all of the single ladies to move to the center of the dance floor, and the bride to come to the dais."

"Hey Shiz, are you going to join in on this too?" Kikuno asked.

Fujiyama sensei sighed. "I think I have done enough for this wedding already. I'm sitting this one out."

"For those of you unfamiliar with this tradition, the bride will toss her bouquet. It is said that whoever catches the bouquet will be the next to get married." Kekkon sama explained.

Both Fujiyama sensei and Kawishima sensei rushed on to the dance floor elbowing some of the other young ladies aside. "Move out of the way." Fujiyama sensei pushed.

"One side, please." Kawashima sensei also pushed her way through until they were in the center as did some of the other ladies, including Shiratori sensei and the nurse at Aikido.

Yankumi looked around until she found Imani, who was standing at the side of the dance floor out of the way. She then turned around facing away from the crowd. "Okay, ready, 1 … 2 … 3 go." Kekkon sama counted off as Yankumi got ready to toss the bouquet. She tossed it high in the air toward the area where she had last seen Imani. All of the women watched it and moved to where they thought it would land. Just as it began its initial descent, Mariko backed up and stretched out her arm over quite a few of the women.

"Being tall has its advantages." Mariko remarked as it seemed to fall into her outstretched hands.

"Sorry Mariko, but Yuuta needs a father, and I am not getting any younger. I'm catching this bouquet. Besides being short also has it's advantages." Kawashima sensei remarked as she pushed Mariko from behind and took her place waiting for the bouquet to land in her arms. Just as the bouquet was about to fall in her hands, she was kicked in the stomach by Fujiyama sensei, who moved in her place to catch the bouquet.

"Sorry Kikuno, you've been married before. Give others a chance." Shizuka smiled as the bouquet reached her arms, but before she grasped it, Shiratori sensei hit her arm from underneath causing the bouquet to volley up and over Fujiyama sensei's head. "Leave this to the young girls who aren't past their prime." It kept tumbling over the hands of many ladies as they all tried to reach out and grab it, only causing it to continue on its volley through the crowd.

Shirokin and Kurogin 3D, with the exception of Kuma who was getting more food, were all standing close to each other watching and enjoying the melee. "Who wants to take bets on who ends up with the bouquet?" Noda asked.

"Oh, my money is that Imani will come out on top. She's just biding her time." Minami stated taking out some bills.

"I don't think so." Uchi said nodding toward Imani who was standing on the other side of Tsuchi also watching with amusement.

"Eh, Imani? Why aren't you in there?" Hyuuga asked.

"Yeah, with your skills, I'm sure you would totally dominate the crowd." Minami asserted.

"Yeah, I'm sure your boyfriend would also like to know that answer." Yabuki said putting his arm around Tsuchi who had a questioning expression on his face.

"Not that it's anyone's concern, but I don't consider myself single. Or, am I wrong? Should I consider myself unattached and join the fracas?" Imani asked glancing at Tsuchi.

Tsuchi smiled and shook his head. "Not on your life." He went over and pulled her into his arms, hugging her from behind. Imani smiled.

The others turned back to watch the tussle.

"It looks like this won't end any time soon." Noda said sitting down at a nearby table.

Meanwhile, the bridal bouquet was still being volleyed around the crowd of women following it and trying to grasp it until one of the youngest members of the clan girls acted. She took one of the longer tables with the food, placed it front of one end of the dance floor, and then just at the strategic moment, she moved into the center of the crowd to hit the bridal bouquet high in the air toward the direction of the table. She then hurriedly made her way to the back of the crowd and pushed the three ladies in the rear of the crowd forward, who fell into the next row of ladies. They all fell row by row like a series of dominoes until the front line of ladies ran into the table. She ran around to the front of the table and caught the bouquet as it landed on the other side of the table. Everyone clapped as the young lady smiled showing the bouquet. She ran over to a young man with dark sunglasses in a flashy blue suit wearing an open-collared, button-down, gold shiny rayon shirt. He had three thick gold rope chains around his neck. His hair was slicked back into a ponytail.

"See Hiroshi. You said you needed a sign to show you that we should get married. Well, I caught the bouquet. Now, there is nothing stopping us from getting married." She looped her arm into his. He stood stoic, although the flush in his cheeks gave away his true demeanor as some of the senior members of his clan snickered in the background and elbowed each other.

"Now it is time to toss the garter." Kekkon sama announced. "Can I have all of the single gentlemen move to the center of the dance floor? Just as with the bridal bouquet whoever catches the garter is supposed to be the next to get married." The men hesitated eyeing each other until Kyou cleared his throat and reached inside his jacket pocket. Then the men hurriedly gathered to the center, with the exception of Tsuchi who stayed by Imani's side possessively. "But before that, we will need the groom to retrieve the garter from the bride's leg."

Yankumi blushed furiously as Shin led her to a chair in front of the dance floor, set her down, and sensuously rubbed his hand up her leg and thighs to retrieve the garter, and even after he had his hand on it, he continued his northward climb causing Yankumi to gasp and grow even redder. Shin winked at her and deliberately took his time removing her garter. He then stood up, but instead of turning around to throw it behind his back he tossed it purposely in Noda's direction and landed it directly in his front pocket. Noda smiled as everyone congratulated him. The young lady who had caught the bouquet pouted, hoping her boyfriend would catch it, until Kekkon sama announced that she would be dancing with Noda.

She looked in his direction and squealed in delight. "Oooh, he's cute." She went over and put her arm around Noda. Her boyfriend glared over at the two.

Shin smirked, winked at Noda, and mouthed the words. "Good luck."

"Before we continue with the dance, the bride and groom would like to say a few words." Kekkon sama handed the microphone to Shin who smiled.

"I would like to thank everyone who was able to come today to share in this very special day with us. We know that many of you had to travel a great distance to join us, and we really appreciate it. We thank you for tolerating the many surprises that we planned for today, including the two plays. And we especially want to thank you for your warm wishes, your loving thoughts during the toasts, and for you taking out time from your busy schedules to participate in our expression of love." He looked at Yankumi who blushed. He kissed her on the cheek and handed her the mike.

"And we really want to thank all of our family, friends, and business associates who had a hand in putting our wedding together. Without you, none of this would have been possible. We woulda had to elope. One person we really owe big." Yankumi turned towards Kekkon sama. "Words cannot express how we fill about Kekkon sama and all that she has done for this wedding, but we would like to try. So, I want to call on my little sister to do it for us. She will also express our thanks to the wedding party for us. Mani, what are you waiting for?" Yankumi hurriedly invited her up and passed the mike to her.

Imani took the mike. "Well, I thank you two for entrusting me with this task first of all, and I hope I will live up to your expectations. Before I begin, let's have a round of applause for Kekkon sama and her staff who have worked tirelessly and made this wedding seem effortless." Everyone applauded. "And while I extoll Kekkon sama's virtues, she wanted me to inform you that the staff will be coming around passing out small thank you gifts to each and every guest who attended the wedding today. Please be sure to take the wedding couple's token of appreciation. Now, without further ado …"

Imani made sure that everyone's attention was either on her or receiving their token of appreciation while Shin led Yankumi out of the reception hall. As soon as the door closed, he scooped up his bride and headed toward the elevator. He did not want to waste another moment. Unfortunately for them, there was one person who was not easily distracted. He was waiting for them at the elevator.

"A moment of your time, Sawada san." He requested. "I believe we have some unfinished business."

And with that, Yankumi and Shin's great escape ends here, and so does this chapter.

* * *

(**A/N**): Normally, I would apologize for taking so long before posting, but I cannot do that this time. It took me a long time to get this chapter just right, and I don't apologize for taking so long to do that. It was difficult figuring out how long to make this chapter, what to include, and how to end it. Originally, the dancing was all supposed to be in the previous chapter, but that would have made that chapter too long, and this one too short. I also had planned to call this chapter Bridal Bouquet Royale and had described the fight over the bridal bouquet in more detail. I decided to summarize that and really focus on Yankumi's feelings for Shin through the conversations during the dance. The reason for the title the Great Escape was Shin and Yankumi trying to escape from the dance and to their honeymoon. However, they were stopped. I wonder by whom. Well, stay tuned and find out what the next event is and whether it is unfortunate or not.


	22. Ch 22: First Night

**Chapter 22 **

**Recap**: Shin became impatient throughout the dancing to escape with Yankumi from the wedding. So he hastened the bridal bouquet toss and the garter toss. Afterward, they thanked everyone for coming and left for the honeymoon suite but were interrupted before they could escape.

* * *

"A moment of your time, Sawada san." He requested. "I believe we have some unfinished business. We have yet to complete our little battle, a war of words if you will, and declare a winner."

Shin sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'm sorry Yoshiro kun, but as you can see I have my hands full." He lifted Yankumi higher to emphasize his point. "So, it will have to wait until another time."

"I'm sorry as well, Shin chan. But I have no other time as I will be leaving for the states first thing in the morning." Yoshiro smiled.

"Fine then, I concede victory to you." Shin bowed slightly and nodded his head. "Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go make love to my wife." He smiled at her lustfully.

"Shiiinnnn." Yankumi blushed.

"What, my darling Kumiko. It's not like everyone doesn't know what we are about to go do. It's better than saying we are about to go f…" Shin remarked.

"Shin!" She covered his mouth. "Not in front of Yoshiro kun, especially since he got rejected so badly this weekend by his first love who married another guy. He probably feels even more lonely now." Yankumi attempted to whisper, but Yoshiro heard every word and cringed as if hit by an arrow.

Yoshiro cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, but that will not do. I won't accept your concession. We need to declare the rightful victor. So,…" Yoshiro paused as he turned and bowed. "Kumiko, I declare you the winner of the war of words."

"Me? But, but …" Yankumi stuttered and thought. _When was I a part of a battle? Well, I still won as usual, but_ …

"Yes, you delivered the knockout punch while we were dancing when you told me how Shin, eh no, Sawada san, how Sawada san had always had your back and been there to save you many times. So, I concede defeat to you Kumichou, and to you too Sawada san." He bowed to Shin and then moved close to Shin's ear to whisper. "You have proved to be the best man for Kumichou for now, but I will always be watching and waiting. So if you disappoint her or let her down any time, I will be there for her. So don't disappoint her."

"You don't have to tell me." Shin replied in an undertone. "In fact, that is exactly what I intend to do right now, to not disappoint her. If you'll excuse me, you are holding me up from satisfying my wife." He moved past Yoshiro to push the button for the elevator. As soon as it opened, he alighted with Yankumi still in his arms, and he engaged Yankumi in a kiss before the elevator doors closed. He kept kissing her fervently all the way until he reached their floor. He didn't even pause as he stepped out of the elevator and made his way to their room. Yankumi responded feverishly, running her hands through his hair. Shin managed to support Yankumi against the door, fish the key out of his pocket and open the door all while still engaged in a deep passionate kiss. He quickly crossed the threshold, kicked the door closed with his feet, and made his way through the sitting room into the bedroom all without breaking the kiss with Yankumi until he gently lay her on the bed and began to quickly undress. In between removing his jacket, tie, cummerbund, and shirt, he would plant kisses on Yankumi. He also helped Yankumi undress quickly, unzipping her dress, removing the pins in her hair and taking it down, and taking off her gloves. He paused to admire her body in her underclothes.

She looked up at him questioningly. "Shin?"

"I'm just pausing to savor what is in store for me." He smiled wickedly, and gave her entire body a lascivious look. "Itidakimasu." He stated and then dove in, kissing Yankumi on the neck, around the ears, and further down. Yankumi responded with moaning and pulling Shin's head closer in as she returned kiss for kiss to Shin. Yankumi felt as if she was drowning in pleasure as Shin kept kissing her further and further down. So swept up in passion and heat were they that they barely noticed the insistent ringing.

_Now who would disturb that couple at a time like this_ is what you are thinking. Well, let's go downstairs and see.

* * *

Downstairs, Imani had completed the thank you speeches and handed out the gifts to the wedding party. Everyone in the wedding party, including Kekkon sama and her staff, received the same gift, an invitation to a private party at Imani's club, a gift certificate for a free dinner at her restaurant, a gift certificate for a free item of clothing at her store along with a lifetime discount card, and a small token from the bride and groom with their names and the wedding information engraved on it. The bridesmaids and groomsmen received an additional gift certificate for a free meal for two at Imani's restaurant and VIP status at her club. The bridesmaid's also received a sterling silver compact mirror, comb and brush set with their names engraved on it, and a certificate to have an outfit designed especially for them from Imani's clothing store. The guys received a flask with their names on it, and unbeknownst to the bride, groom, Imani, and Kekkon sama, Kyou had filled the flasks with his special "headache" medicine.

While the wedding party were all admiring their gifts and discussing how they would use them, Kekkon sama resumed the dancing with having Noda dance with the young lady who won bridal bouquet royale (_excuse me, who caught the bridal bouquet, I meant to say_.) Noda spent the entire time uncomfortably and trying to distance himself from the young lady as she grinded against him and constantly rubbed her hands and body all over his. Normally, he would have enjoyed himself, but the girl's boyfriend was glaring at him the entire time and kept reaching inside his jacket breast pocket whenever she would get too close. Noda was so relieved when the dance ended, that is until the girl's boyfriend came up to him, smiled at him, put his arm around Noda's shoulders, and escorted him outside of the reception area. Imani and the other groom's men chuckled at Noda's predicament and wished Shin was around to witness it.

A couple of minutes later, Noda came back in noticeably pale and seemed to walk slower. The guys all snickered as they observed him. Noda came over to them.

"Eh, Noda. Are you alright man? You look a little pale there." Minami playfully punched him in the stomach, and he winced.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Noda grimaced.

"Man, I wish Shin could have been here to see your face just now and before while you were dancing with the yakuza chippie." Minami laughed. "Wait, he can. I recorded it for him on my phone." He showed the recording to the rest of the guys as they laughed. "I'll just send it to him now." Minami typed in the phone number and pressed send. "I can't wait to hear Shin's reaction when he sees this."

Noda's face changed from uncomfortable to devilish at that moment. "Why wait? Let's call him and ask what he thinks."

"Now? Are you kidding me? He's occupied right now. I'd hate to disturb him and Yankumi right now. Do you know what they will do to us?'' Uchi asked.

"Yeah, but it wouldn't be until tomorrow morning or afternoon at the earliest." Minami remarked thoughtfully. "We could be long gone by then. Besides, shouldn't we cheer our best buddy on for his first night with Yankumi?"

"Well, we have been cheering them on since the beginning." Kuma added.

Uchi looked at all of them incredulously, then smiled, and shrugged. "Should we?" Uchi paused pulling out his phone to dial. "Well, why not? We wouldn't be Shirokin's best or worst 3D if we didn't." They all chuckled.

**

* * *

Back to the Happy Couple**

Yankumi felt a slight vibration near her lower abdomen. "Oooh, Shin, what was that? I've never felt that before."

"Did it feel good?" Shin asked.

Yankumi smiled shyly and nodded. "Can you do it again?" Sure enough, Yankumi felt the vibration again as Shin sucked on her neck. She moaned in response and waited. "Shin, can you do that again, that shaking thing?"

Shin stopped kissing Yankumi's neck to look at her. Then he felt it. "Oh, that was my phone. I got a text." He took his phone out of his pocket and threw it on the floor and went back to kissing Yankumi, this time lower and lower. At the same time his phone began to ring.

"Wow. Shin." Yankumi said breathlessly.

"Hmmmm." He asked.

"It's true what they say. I hear bells." Yankumi expressed.

Shin paused, looked up at Yankumi, and listened. "That's my phone ringing." He continued kissing her up and down her body.

"Aren't you going to answer it?" Yankumi asked as it continued ringing.

"No, it's just the guys." Shin replied.

"How do you know?" Yankumi asked.

"Because I set bells as the ringtones for the guys, as in those four dumbbells." Shin replied, chuckled and then returned his attention to Yankumi, giving her a serious look.

"But Shin, it may be important." Yankumi began to worry.

Shin shook his head. "You're more important." He looked at her in the eyes and engaged her mouth in a kiss to keep her from voicing any more objections. Yankumi responded by closing her eyes and arching her back. When Shin broke the kiss, she was breathless at first.

Then she began to think again. "What if it's an emergency? Considering the week we had, no the day we had, it may be something big."

Shin sighed. "If it's an emergency, they will call back. Besides, I'm sure the energizer bunny acrobatic doll can handle it." Then he began fondling her at the same time kissing her and Yankumi leaned her head back and began moaning again, until the room phone rang. Shin dropped his head and stopped. Yankumi was panting hard as she urged Shin to answer the phone.

He picked up the receiver. "What!"

"Hey Shin, we just want to say good luck and represent 3D well. Bansai! Bansai! Bans…" Shin slammed the receiver on the four guys who had spoken in unison loud enough for Yankumi to hear them. He then pulled the cord from the wall jack. His phone began ringing again, and he hurriedly pulled the battery out of it.

"Those guys. Just wait until I get my hands on them." Yankumi growled and sat up ready to move, when Shin grabbed her, threw her back on the bead, held down her arms by the wrists, and placed his knees on either side of her hips.

"They can wait, but I can't." He kissed the side of her neck. "Now, where were we?" He looked down at her. "Oh yes, I was just getting ready to… mph." Shin held his nose as Yankumi sat up all of a sudden, hitting him with her forehead. He grabbed his nose as he released Yankumi and sat down. He looked at her with a pained expression.

"That's right. I need to get ready." Yankumi remembered the clan aneesans advice.

Shin sighed. "Well, I'm good and ready, and …" Shin reached over and caressed Yankumi's thigh and continued moving further north. "From what I can tell, you're pretty much ready as well."

Yankumi closed her eyes and responded to Shin. "Sh – Shin, w – wait, n – no." She panted and paused and finally pushed his hand away. "That's not what I mean. The clan aneesans and obasans said that I have to put on my weapons and start using them from the beginning to show you that I have an arsenal so that you won't get bored eventually and stray." Yankumi explained and got off the bed, went to the closet, retrieved a bag, and retreated into the bathroom.

"Eh?" Shin stared after Yankumi confused hoping that what Yankumi said was meant as a metaphor and hoping even more that Yankumi knew and meant it as a metaphor. He shook his head. "Then again, knowing Kumiko, there's no telling." He paused. "Then again, considering the source, it may not be a metaphor." Shin sighed and looked around for something to occupy his time while waiting for his wife. He decided to hang up his clothes. As he hung them in the closet in the sitting room, he saw a package with his name, or rather the nickname the clan had given him, "Young Master Lion." He then recalled what Imani had told him, and he opened the bag.

He smiled to himself as he lifted out the contents. "Well, well, it looks like I have some weapons for my arsenal as well." He chuckled to himself. He decided to take a quick shower in the half bath attached to the sitting room, which contained only a sink, a toilet, and a shower stall. He rushed through his shower not wanting to keep his bride waiting and risk her falling asleep or getting out of the mood. He came back and got into the bed, waiting. After a few minutes he decided to check on her. He went over to the bathroom and knocked on the door.

"Kumiko, are you alright in there?" Shin asked.

"Shiiiiiiin, don't come in. You'll ruin the surprise." Yankumi panicked.

"Kumiko, don't keep me waiting too long or you will miss the surprise I have for you." Shin teased her.

"Really? You have a surprise for me? Okay. I'm ready. Let's go on three. Ichi." She counted.

"Ni." Shin continued.

"San." Yankumi said and slowly opened the door.

As she slowly opened the door, Shin was also slowly opening his kimono and was in the middle of yelling "Ta d…," when he saw her. His jaw dropped as did his brown kimono, and he stood transfixed.

When he dropped the robe, Yankumi who was just about to utter the phrase that the clan obasans had instructed her, Yankumi stopped and stared at Shin's taught, lean, wiry, muscular body and what he was wearing underneath the kimono. She instead only managed to stutter. "F … F … fundoshi?"

Shin simply nodded as he stared at her as she posed in the bathroom doorway with one arm leaning against the doorframe and the other on her hips. She was wearing a school girl uniform only sexier and slinkier and she had hair up in a ponytail with some hair hanging down in the back reminiscent of how she dressed that time she was posing as a school girl to deal with Fujiyama sensei's stalker. Instead, the skirt stopped just below her hipline, the sweater worn over her button down shirt was only a half-sweater and ended just below her breast line, the button down shirt was also a half shirt and ended just at her navel, and instead of socks, she wore white lace stockings with garters and high heeled sexy loafers. They stood transfixed for a few minutes just staring at each other until Yankumi finally remembered the phrase that she was supposed to say and managed to get it out in what was supposed to be a deep sexy voice. "Sensei, I need extra lessons. Could you tutor me?" Although she sounded more like Kyou giving an order, it was enough to awaken Shin and in what seemed like three seconds Shin reached Yankumi, lifted her around the waist, lay her on the bed and … well …

Well, let's just say he spent all night tutoring Yankumi, and she learned quite a lot as did Shin. He learned all kinds of things about Yankumi.

* * *

**Back to the Ballroom**

The dancing was now going in full swing thanks to Kekkon sama. Even the kumi were participating, specifically Kyou. He approached Ishikawa sensei and held out his hand to her. "Wanna cut a rug?"

She took his hand and followed him to the dance floor. "Well, since you extended such a gracious invitation." As they danced, she remarked. "I'm impressed. Who would have thought a yakuza could be so light on their feet?"

"Hey, I'm no Neanderthal. I'm cultured. Just call me a renaissance man." Kyou bragged. "I've dated professionals before. I used to date this ballerina that was moonlighting as a waitress in a club that I frequented now and again."

Ishikawa looked at him impressed with his vocabulary and then looked skeptical. "Hostess huh?"

"Stripper." Kyou chuckled. "Can't get anything by sensei huh?" She shook her head. "So, ain't we gonna' to finish where we left off earlier?" He asked.

"You mean …" Ishikawa began.

"The little one on one earlier from before Ojou interrupted." Kyou explained.

"Oh, yes, that." Ishikawa sensei breathed a sigh of relief. "Sure, but wouldn't you rather do this somewhere more private with less potential eavesdroppers." Ishikawa sensei looked around them.

Kyou looked at his watch. "Sounds good to me, but ain't it getting a little late for you? Your katagi husband will probably be here soon to get you, or you taking a cab or gettin' a ride? He's probably expecting you soon ain't he?"

She shook her head. "Nope, he won't care at all. I didn't plan on going home tonight anyway."

Kyou looked at her surprised. "Is that so? Now, just where did you plan to sleep then?"

Ishikawa sensei shook her head. "I figured the reception would last well into the morning, and I would just catch a cab then, or maybe I could get a room or …"

"Or?" Kyou asked.

"Stay with someone who I am close with." Ishikawa sensei finished.

Kyou looked thoughtful. "Alright then, hold that thought. We can take our little talk upstairs to my room and then see if we can find you a place to bunk for the night if you need one, and then you can tell me why any perfectly sane man does not worry about his wife staying out overnight. First, I need to talk to the boss and make sure we got all our business covered." He nodded and left.

Kyou walked over to where the kumichou was sitting and conversing with some other clan leaders. "Sir." Kyou bowed and waited for acknowledgement.

"Young Chief, I'm glad you are here. I was just saying how our young kumi members are progressing well. Ironic isn't it? That the young members of our kumi are more mature than the rest of the katagi in their generation." The kumichou remarked. "Kyou, I have a task for you, Wakamatsu, Minoru, Tetsu, and Sugawara."

"Yes, sir, boss." Kyou obediently awaited orders, trying not to think of possible regrets with Ishikawa sensei.

"Kyou, you and the boys need to make sure the young kumi members are ready to take on more responsibility. I need you to test them. Give the five top ones your duties and then check in on them the next morning and see if they are ready. Until then, you must see to yourselves." He ordered.

Kyou was overwhelmed. He wanted to shed tears of joy at the generous gift the kumichou had given him. Instead he acted appropriately as the Young Chief should. "You got it boss. I'll make sure that they are thoroughly tested." Kyou bowed and then quickly left to give everyone instructions. He finally went over to Ishikawa sensei and escorted her upstairs.

* * *

_Let's pause to see what another couple is up to shall we?_

_Imani sat down to take a much-needed rest with the help of five bodyguards who fended off potential dance partners. As she sat and put her head back, Tsuchi pulled up a chair, turned it to face her, picked up her feet, took off her shoes, and rest them in his lap. She looked at him questioningly._

He just smiled at her. "So what are your plans for the rest of the evening?" Tsuchi asked.

Imani exhaled. "I plan to indulge in a long hot bath and then go to bed and relax."

"Mind if I join you?" He asked.

"In which one?" Imani asked suspicious.

"Whichever you will allow or both if possible." He replied hopeful.

"Hmmmmm. Well, I like to bathe alone, and I'm not sure it is a good idea. After all, we haven't bathed together since that … since your …" Imani paused awkwardly not wanting to recall the incident. "Not since I played nurse maid for you. You are welcome to relax with me, though."

"I don't have to join you in the bath. I can fix it for you and relax you." Tsuchi offered. "I can massage your shoulders while you are in the bath." He began rubbing her feet.

Imani moaned. "Oh, that feels so good. Okay you can join me in both if you are sure you can handle it. Imani acquiesced.

Tsuchi smiled smugly and then stopped. "Wait, what do you mean if I can handle it?"

"Well, considering what we have been talking about doing all day and what we almost ended up doing, are you sure you can handle relaxing with me?" Imani asked.

"Yes, because you're going to tell me two bed time stories." Tsuchi replied. Imani looked at him confused. "The story of the princess who was kidnapped in Hong Kong and the maiden of honor's night with the best man." Tsuchi explained. Imani nodded in acknowledgement and cringed.

"Okay." She sighed.

As another song ended, he placed her feet down, picked up her shoes, kneeled down and turned away from her with his back facing her. He looked over his shoulder at her. "Hop on." He pat his back to indicate he wanted to piggyback her.

She chuckled. "Tsuchi, what's all this? I can walk you know."

"I know, but after testifying, rescuing a kidnapped victim, getting kidnapped yourself, putting down your stalker yet again, flying from Hong Kong directly to the rehearsal, the dinner, the bachelorette party, then chasing down the drunk bride and groom and finally spending the night guarding them, then getting into three fights during and after the wedding, I know you are tired, and your feet must hurt."

Imani smiled. "True though that may be, and even though I don't really care what people think, nor do I mind being the center of attention, more like I am used to it, nor do I get embarrassed easily, this is not my event. I don't want to be the center of attention, nor me being piggy backed the last thing everyone remembers when they recall Miko's wedding. So, I will walk thank you."

Tsuchi looked over his shoulder and smiled back at her. "I know. Got it covered. It's as easy as this." He snapped his fingers, then the lights dimmed and Kekkon sama began to speak.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have a very rare treat. Japan's own Kashu Yoshiro will give us a free abbreviated preview of his performance. That's right. He has decided to honor us with a shortened version of his concerts that are sold out as soon as tickets go on sale in the states. Remember ladies and gentlemen, when Kekkon sama coordinates a wedding you can expect the unexpected. And now I present, Yoshiro."

He came out crooning a popular American R&B song much to all the women's delight.

And so with the lights dimmed, and the spotlight and all attention on the stage, Tsuchi gestured for Imani to get on his back. She smiled and got on his back. He easily lifted her and piggybacked her out a side door away from everyone. "But what is all this? Is this an apology for that time from the video or what?"

"A little of that, but it's mostly to make sure that you don't change your mind about your promise." Tsuchi replied.

"Promise?" Imani shook her head confused.

"You promised to marry me earlier, and I don't intend to let you go. So, I'm going to do everything I can to make sure that you don't back out of it and to make you want to say yes when I propose to you properly." Tsuchi explained.

Imani turned her face into Tsuchi's back and rested her head on him. She mouthed some words into his back. Tsuchi looked back over his shoulder at Imani. "I'm sorry. I didn't catch that."

"I said thank you and I love you." Imani stated clearly.

Tsuchi broke out into a broad grin and then tossed Imani into the air and caught her in his arms. He then stared into her eyes and finally kissed her. He broke the kiss and looked into her eyes again. "Are you still planning on keeping your promise to marry me?"

Imani smiled coyly. "Let's wait until you ask me properly to find out my answer." When he put her down in her room, he ran the bath water. He came out when it was ready. Imani commented. "You know. I think I've changed my mind."

Tsuchi stared at her for a moment dumb-founded. "About the promise?"

"No, about the bath. You can join me if you dress in appropriate attire." Imani smiled.

Tsuchi breathed a sigh of relief and had his luggage transferred upstairs to her room. They bathed, went to bed, and she told him in detail everything that had happened while she was in Hong Kong and what happened the previous night. They fell asleep due to exhaustion shortly afterward.

Well, while the two couples are engaged in their respective night activities, let's check in and see how our Young Chief is doing, shall we?

* * *

Kyou opened the door to his room, and pointed to a seat. "Take a load off." He then grabbed two glasses, a bottle, sat down and unzipped the zipper on his pants. Ishikawa sensei looked taken a back. "Oh, don't sweat this. I'm just getting comfortable. I really put on the feedbag at Ojou's little after wedding do, and I need a little breathing space. Feel free to make yourself at home too and undo or take off anything that makes you uncomfortable."

Ishikawa sensei smiled in relief and nodded. She took off her shoes and put on slippers. She nodded in response to Kyou's offer of a drink. "Thank you." She picked up her glass.

"So, where were we sensei? You were going to explain something to me, right?" Kyou asked.

"Which item? Why it is okay for me to stay out all night or ancient history?" Ishikawa sensei asked and put her glass down and asked for another one.

Kyou considered. "Your choice, but should probably tell me why your man doesn't mind a pretty little lady like yourself staying out all night at a wedding without him just in case he changes his mind and comes barging in here, knocking on the door looking for you. We wouldn't want anyone here to get hurt on Ojou's big day."

Just as Ishikawa sensei nodded, set down her drink, and began to speak, there was a loud knock at Kyou's door, which startled her so much that she grabbed her chest in surprise.

Kyou arched an eyebrow and then smiled. "Speak of the devil."

Ishikawa shook her head. "No, no, that can't possibly be …"

Kyou went to the door and pressed the intercom. He saw Minoru, Tetsu, and Sugawara. He started to ignore them, but then thought maybe there was trouble. He opened the door surprised to also find three of Shirokin 3D (excluding Uchiyama and of course Shin) and the four from Kurogin 3D there as well.

Minoru spoke. "Ah, Young Chief, since the boss gave us the night off, we're going to the bar. We're going to show these young punks a good time. The clan hostesses said that they would take care of us at the hotel bar, free of charge. Whadda ya say?"

Kyou looked back at Ishikawa sensei and began to reject them when Minoru spoke up. "Ah, Young Chief, you are already being taken care of by a pretty lady. Of course the Oeda clan's young chief always has a bird in the hand. Sorry to bother you. You take care of that, and we'll try and take care of the rest."

Kyou protested. "No, it's not like that we are just …" He paused and thought. "What were we doing? Hmph, what was I doing or going to do?" He spoke to himself. "Violating one of our three rules, that's what. I gotta be a better role model to the kumi." Then to Minoru he told him. "You guys go on ahead. I just have to take care of a little business and then I'll join you and show all of you young punks how to have a good time." He closed the door and returned to Ishikawa sensei. She was looking at him questioningly.

"Is everything okay?" She asked.

"Yeah, it's alright now. Look, I gotta go take care of some of the younger members and some katagi, so make yourself at home. Drink all you want. You can even bunk here for the night. I won't disturb you." He spoke as he fixed his clothing and prepared to leave.

"Ah, no, Oshima, I don't want to put you out of your own room. You don't have to." Ishikawa sensei protested.

"No problem. I'm not being put out. My business will probably take the rest of the night. Plus, we requested Sensei be a part of the wedding. So, it's only right that I take care of you." Kyou remarked.

"But what about our talk?" Ishikawa sensei asked.

"We can talk tomorrow over breakfast." Kyou remarked. "Or lunch if you have the time. Ah, but you probably have to get back home early in the morning to see to your husband's breakfast. Well, sensei, it's been real. If you have to leave, just leave the key with the front desk. Watch your back." He left.

"Wait, Oshima, there's something I need to tell you about my husband." Ishikawa sensei chased him to the door and opened it, but he was already down the hall and quickly got into the elevator.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "You don't have to tell me. I know. You are faithful to your husband sensei." He smiled to himself. "That was close. Alright, time to pick up some single birds."

And having seen to the activities of the story's main characters, let's end this chapter and the wedding night here. Don't worry, though, this is not the end of the story. There is still one more chapter and one more thing to wrap up. It will be a short chapter. So it won't take nearly as long to complete.

**

* * *

(A/N**) Okay, one more chapter to go. A short and sweet extra if you will. I hope you have enjoyed to this point and are still being surprised. It's a new year, and I have resolved to not apologize for how long it is taking in between chapters. The only way to do that is to finish all of my stories and not keep people waiting this year. So, don't be surprised if you see chapters coming one after another. Forgive me for not going into detail about Yankumi and Shin's first night. However, this story is being narrated. So, I didn't think it would be logical for the narrator to know every single detail. (Yeah, I chickened out again on writing anything more than fluff.) Anyhow, now on to the last chapter without any previews. Sorry, you'll just have to wait and be surprised.


	23. Ch 23: Last Event

**Last Unfortunate Event**

**Recap: **Yankumi and Shin finally spent their first night together despite delays from her childhood friend wanting to finish the verbal battle with Shin, and Shirokin 3D wishing him good luck. Tsuchi took care of Imani, and she in return told him what happened in Hong Kong and with Uchi in detail. Kyou and the older kumi members were given the night off to let the younger members gain experience and Kyou and Ishikawa sensei began to turn up the flames, which Kyou quickly doused.

* * *

It was 10:00 the next morning before anyone associated with the wedding stirred, including Kekkon sama who downed a good amount of Kyou's "headache" medicine when she was finally relieved of her duties for the evening. It wasn't so much that she wanted to wash away all of the unfortunate events that occurred from the moment she agreed to coordinate the wedding until the climax at the wedding itself. Because of said unfortunate events, she was more certain than ever that she was the most skilled wedding planner in the business. She was confident that after this wedding, she could handle any challenge that was thrown at her in the future and no wedding could possibly compare to this one in terms of the trouble that was caused. Considering how she had managed to turn every unfortunate event at the wedding itself into a positive reinforcement of her skills, she had no problems accepting all of the offers she had received to coordinate other guests' weddings if her schedule allowed it. So, although she felt that this wedding would end her career (either due to a bad reputation or her nerves being rattled), she had to admit that it had actually elevated her career, her reputation, and her status to a higher level.

It was what she discovered after the wedding that caused her to drown her sorrows.

* * *

**Flashback to seven hours earlier**

Sawada san came over to Kekkon sama and requested her presence. "Kekkon sama, could you possibly spare a moment of your time?

Kekkon sama smiled. "Of course Sawada san." Inwardly she cringed thinking she was about to get her head handed to her for the events that occurred at the wedding.

When they were outside, Sawada san began somberly. "Kekkon sama, when my son informed me of his intention to marry a yakuza heiress, I was of course appalled. I feared the worse would happen with a marriage of this sort. And thus, I turned the care of this wedding over to you, Kekkon sama, the best wedding consultant in the business. I felt that only you were qualified to coordinate this wedding and prevent my fears from becoming reality. However, much to my horror, all my fears were realized at this wedding." Her face softened and she smiled. "Yet, I am relieved to say that I was not disappointed with your services. My initial appraisal of you was correct. Only you would be able to turn the nightmares that occurred into positive, memorable events that enthralled rather than appalled our guests. Thank you very much Kekkon sama. Furthermore, I will write you a glowing recommendation and refer you to anyone looking for the best wedding planner to coordinate their wedding." She bowed to the lady, and handed her an envelope.

"Thank you, Sawada san, only if I may be so bold, please do not recommend me to anyone from your daughter-in-law's family." Kekkon sama formally bowed.

"Understood." Sawada san nodded and continued. "Although, there are still many matters to tidy up and the gifts to sort and thank you notes to send, I believe Kekkon sama that you have earned a temporary reprieve. My dear, please leave whatever is left to your assistants and rest until the morning."

Kekkon sama was shocked. For a moment she was wondering if she was being tested by Sawada sama and should turn down the offer as she usually did. Seeing that Sawada san was sincere, and wanting to take full advantage, she quickly accepted. She grabbed her items, turned over the remaining duties to the hotel wedding liaison and her assistants, and headed upstairs. She pushed the button for a certain floor. She then looked around before knocking on the door of the person she most wanted to occupy her free time.

She was surprised when a woman answered the door. "Hai."

"Excuse me, I was looking for Kyotaro san's room." She spoke through the intercom.

"Yes, this is his room." She replied.

"Oh, well, then. Okay." Kekkon sama was taken aback.

"Would you like me to get him or is there any message?" The woman asked.

"Most certainly not." Kekkon sama replied and stomped away. "Why that, that, gangster." As soon as she was sure the door was closed, she opened the flask and took a swig. From that moment, her descent into the bottle was inevitable. And that is what caused her to drown her sorrows that night and ironically suffer the worst headache the next morning from the so-called "headache" medicine. Fortunately, her staff was on top of everything and was taking care of all of the post wedding arrangements.

* * *

At the same time, Kyou had awakened to return to his duties as Young Chief. He looked around wondering where the hell he was. He heard familiar snoring and went over to wake the younger kumi member whose room he inhabited. "Oi, Minoru, wake up. We got work to do."

"Just a minute Aniki. I just need to say goodbye to this bird." He spoke without opening his eyes and began kissing on the pillow he was holding.

Kyou smirked, took the pillow, and put it over Minoru's face, half-asphyxiating him in the process until he began flailing his arms wildly due to lack of oxygen and finally woke up. Kyou then tossed the pillow behind him.

Minoru was panting. "Ah, Aniki, I had a cool dream that turned into a nightmare. I was hooking up with this really fine broad, and we were kissing, and then all of a sudden she turned into this creature that was sucking all of the air out of me." He turned his neck left and right, stretching. "It felt so real, like I was really choking."

Kyou chuckled secretly but then ordered. "Let's go get the others and take care of our business."

Minoru nodded, got up, and then paused. "Ah Aniki, what about sensei?" He asked.

Kyou nodded. "Business before broads. After our business, I'll take care of it." He acted nonchalant but secretly hoped to delay long enough for her to leave so that he would avoid facing her.

Within thirty minutes, they had completed their rounds and Kyou found himself in front of his hotel room door all too quickly. He knocked lightly and waited before unlocking the door and entering. He looked around the room to see if there were any signs of his guest. Only the bed, which had been slept in, showed signs of anyone occupying the room.

"Hmph," he remarked out loud to no one in particular. "Figures. I thought she would return home as soon as possible." As soon as he spoke, he heard a noise behind him. Within a few seconds he had reached his sword by the bed and had it pointed at the direction from which he heard the noise.

As the bathroom door opened, he poised his sword to be about throat high of whoever came out of the bathroom, startling a freshly-bathed Ishikawa sensei. As a result, she dropped the towel wrapped around her hair.

"Sensei, I thought you had already returned to your katagi husband." Kyou said as he slowly and carefully lowered his sword.

Ishikawa glared at Kyou with her hand over her heart trying to recover from the fright. "You scared me to death. Of course I'm still here. Now, listen up and listen well Kyotaro Oshima. I will not repeat myself. My husband is not waiting for me to return home. I no longer have a husband to which to return. He passed on ahead of me. Ironically, that was the very reason that I finished with you. I didn't want to become a widow in the prime of my life. Yet, you are still here, and I am a widow."

Kyou scowled and picked up the towel to hand it to the sensei. "So, then should we continue from where we left off?"

"Are you talking about our conversation or …" Ishikawa left the words hanging in the air.

"Don't ever say that the Young Chief ain't no gentleman. It's lady's choice." He smiled.

"Then I choose this." She went over to him.

* * *

At that moment, Tsuchi woke up panicked in a sweat and looked at Imani lying next to him. "Imani …." He shook her lightly. "Imani."

Imani turned to face him and stretched and yawned lazily. "Mmmm … good morning, Hikaru, what's up?"

"Imani, is it true? Did Ren really ask Kekkon sama to coordinate a wedding between you and him?" Tsuchi asked.

Imani scowled at Tsuchi, rolled her eyes, sighed, and turned over to go back to sleep.

Tsuchi waited to see if Imani would answer and then prodded her again. "Imani, Imani."

"Naaaani?" Imani asked, annoyed.

"You didn't answer the question. Did he?" Tsuchi asked again.

Imani growled and then pulled the covers over her head.

Tsuchi pulled the covers back and looked at her concerned. "What's the matter? Why won't you answer me?"

Imani opened her eyes and glared at him. "You wake up a person who hasn't slept properly in four days to ask _stupid_ questions, and you ask what's wrong?"

Tsuchi put his head down. "Oh, sorry."

Imani nodded and turned back over to go back to sleep.

"Since you are already awake can you answer the question?" Tsuchi asked sheepishly.

Imani turned over, sat up, pushed the covers away from her forcefully and sighed exasperated. "Yes, okay, yes he did ask Kekkon sama to coordinate the wedding."

"Oh." Tsuchi replied and was thoughtful. "Did she say yes?" Tsuchi asked.

Imani shrugged. "I don't know. Ask her, or better yet why don't you fly to Hong Kong right now and ask him. As long as you leave me alone and let me sleep." She lay down, turned over, pulled the covers back over her head, frustrated, to go back to sleep.

"Ah, right." Tsuchi nodded again and thought. After a moment he asked another question. "Do you think Kekkon sama would say yes if I asked her?"

Imani growled again frustrated, pulled the covers back, sat up, and looked at Tsuchi. "I don't know. I'm not a mind reader. Why don't you ask her?"

"But if she said yes to him, wouldn't she say yes to us? I mean is there any reason she wouldn't? What do you think our chances are?" Tsuchi asked.

Imani thought for a half-second before replying. "Well, think about it. After all the problems she had with Miko and niichan's wedding, would she really be eager to coordinate another wedding associated with anyone from Miko's family?"

Tsuchi replied before he thought. "Well it's not as if you're real s…" He stopped before completing the sentence as Imani glared at him. "I mean. It's not as if you two are blood-related."

Imani rolled her eyes. "We might as well be with all our similarities."

Tsuchi shrugged. "What, it's not like your family is yaku… oh, right. Well, it's not like your grandfather is the kumic… ah no. Well, he isn't any more since he is … yeah." Tsuchi paused to think.

Imani just stared at him thoughtfully waiting patiently for him to continue.

"Okay, okay, my family is not into politics and don't have to worry about scandals or people coming after them for revenge. There, that is one difference." Tsuchi stated proudly. Then he frowned. "But you do have those stalker issues."

"We." Imani pointed back and forth between herself and Tsuchi. "We have stalker issues."

Tsuchi cringed as he nodded. "But Kekkon sama doesn't know all of this. It should be fine as long as we don't tell her."

"Whatever you say, Hikaru." Imani replied skeptically.

Tsuchi still nodded smiling. "So, then you think she'll say yes, right? There shouldn't be any problems."

"Still not a mind reader." Imani lay down and pulled the covers over her. "But first you have to propose and get a yes from me." She remarked as she turned over to go back to sleep. "And for that to happen, I have to be _well-rested_." Imani emphasized the last few words.

"Ah." Tsuchi nodded and let Imani rest for all of two seconds. "So, did Ren propose to you and force you to say yes? Is that why he was so confident to ask Kekkon sama to be the wedding coordinator?"

Imani turned back over and sat up with her hands covering her eyes. She then wiped them and turned to Tsuchi. "No, he did not ask me to marry him, and I definitely would not have said yes had he asked." Imani replied frustrated.

"Then how could he have been so bold and confident? And why didn't he ask you?" Tsuchi wondered.

"First, you only ask that question if you have a reasonable expectation of getting a positive answer, which he should have known he wouldn't. And second, hello? He's a criminal. Those type of people do not ask permission for anything. They feel that they are entitled and don't need anyone's permission. So they take whatever they want. So why would he ask me?" Imani explained.

"Well, I thought he loved you and was so into you. If that's the case, he could have at least asked you." Tsuchi replied.

"You wanted him to propose to me?" Imani asked.

"Nooooo, no. No. Definitely not. I'm just saying if he loved you, he would have at least asked you, and if you said no, he could have said that he would marry into your family or something." Tsuchi defended.

Imani arched an eyebrow at Tsuchi, cocked her head and asked. "Sooooo, are you saying that you are willing to marry into my family?"

Tsuchi thought for a minute before scratching his head and cautiously replying. "Well, about that. I would, but seeing that I'm my father's only son, I kind of have to keep the Tsuchiya family name going. Besides, my grandmother would blame you and hate you even more. You know how she already feels about you and what she thinks of you. And it will be hard enough getting her approval as it is."

Imani nodded in agreement.

"And if I asked to marry into your family, I don't think your mom's side would like it, and your dad's side would probably pull a switch at the last minute and have me marry one of your cousins. You remember what happened with your cousin the last time we visited them? I couldn't forget about it." He asked.

Imani scowled at Tsuchi. "Oh, was it that memorable, that you couldn't forget it?"

"No, it was so scary I had nightmares." He shivered involuntarily. "But …" He pulled her to him and sat her on his lap. "I could never forget about what happened after that. That is the part that I never want to forget. That's my favorite part."

"Oh, and what was that?" Imani asked smiling. "I don't quite remember. If you could refresh my memory."

Tsuchi wriggled his eyebrows. "With pleasure." He embraced her in a deep passionate kiss. When they broke the kiss, he looked at her. "Did that refresh your memory?"

She nodded and smiled. "Yes, I remember. And I will never forget what happened later that night."

Tsuchi looked at her confused trying to recall. "Really, what happened?"

She smiled. "Well, later that night, we went back to our rooms and …" She paused giving him a sexy look.

"And?" He asked in anticipation.

"And we went to sleep and had a good night's rest." She moved off his lap, laid down, pulled the covers around her, and turned facing away from him to go back to sleep.

Tsuchi's shoulders and mouth dropped looking at Imani. Then he chuckled silently and lay down next to her putting his arm around her waist. "Imani?"

"Hm?" She replied drowsily.

"I love you." He said.

She sighed and took a pillow and hit him with it without turning around and went back to sleep.

* * *

Finally, let's check on the main pairing of this story and see how they are enjoying the morning after their first night of wedded bliss.

Yankumi woke up drowsily with a smile on her face and stretched luxuriously, yawning. When she finally opened her eyes, she turned to find Shin propped up on one elbow staring at her and smiling down at her. "Good morning, Mrs. Sawada." Yankumi beamed.

"Good morning, Mr. Sawada. I've always wanted to say that." Then she thought. "Wait, you've always been Mr. Sawada."

Shin kissed Yankumi on the forehead. "That's okay. I've been waiting to hear that from my wife for a long time. So how do you feel this morning? You don't hurt anywhere do you?" Shin smirked.

Yankumi giggled and then stretched and yawned again. "I'm good, but I'm hungry. Let's get dressed and go down to get breakfast."

"Why?" Shin asked her.

Yankumi arched an eyebrow in consternation. "I just said silly. I'm really hungry for some reason."

Shin enwrapped Yankumi in his arms. "I bet I know the reason." He kissed her on the lips. "But I am asking why do we have to get dressed and go downstairs to eat? Why don't we order room service and eat in bed? That way we don't have to get dressed and go anywhere, and then you can satisfy my hunger after we eat." He wriggled his eyebrows and kissed her again.

Yankumi's eyes had been closed during the kiss as she held her breath. She released her breath and opened her eyes. "But Shin, if we eat won't your hunger already be satisfied?" Yankumi asked innocently after considering it.

"Maybe my hunger for food will be satisfied, but my hunger for Kumiko can't be satisfied." He kissed her on the lips again. "I can never get enough Kumiko."

"Shinnnnn." Yankumi blushed after the kiss. Then she made a move to get out of bed. "Okay, you order room service, and I'll go shower and change."

Shin arched an eyebrow and grabbed her by her elbow. "If we aren't going downstairs, why do you need to shower and get dressed?"

Yankumi rolled her eyes. "Because Imani gave me something that she told me to wear our second day together, and she went through a lot of trouble to get it. So, I don't want to disappoint her."

Shin kept looking at her with his eyebrow arched curiously. "Uh, if you say so." He released her elbow and then quickly cupped her chin and drew her into a kiss. "Hurry up and come back soon, okay?"

Yankumi once again had her eyes closed as Shin kissed her. She opened them once Shin withdrew and then smiled shyly and nodded. Yankumi then hurriedly got up and ran into the bathroom. Meanwhile, Shin perused the room service menu. He made a decision and placed his order. He sighed, bored. He opened one of his gifts from the kumi while he waited. It turned out that it was an instruction manual for satisfying women. He was so engrossed in the book that he barely heard the knock on the door when room service came 25 minutes later. He grabbed a robe and tied it tightly around him, closed the door to the bedroom part of the suite, and opened the door to the young lady delivering breakfast. He showed her where to place the cart and looked over the food. He went to get some money and handed her a tip. He nodded. "Thank you miss."

She smiled at him flirtatiously having given him a thorough glance. "It's Momoka Aoi, but you can call me what everyone else calls me, Momo chan."

"Excuse me, WHAT did she just say?" Shin and the girl turned to see Yankumi standing there irked with her right eye twitching. Yankumi had finished dressing and opened the door at that moment.

Shin gasped and stuttered. "Ku-ku .. Ku ... mi … ko?" He stared with his mouth agape. "That dress?"

Yankumi smiled without it reaching her eyes. "This is the dress from the anime wedding that they confused with my dress yesterday. Imani got them to give me a version of it. Do you like it?" She asked with a pretend polite smile.

Shin could do nothing but nod vigorously as he stared.

"Good, then I'll dye it black and wear it at your funeral!" Yankumi replied yelling at him. "SA WA DA! I'm so going to kill you for bringing that little Peach tramp in here when we haven't been husband and wife for even 24 hours." Yankumi said, pulling out the wooden sword from the hidden sheath in the back of her dress and lunging forward toward him.

"Eh?" Shin replied confused and then quickly ducked out of the way. "But … but Kumiko." He protested as he ran around the sofa getting away from her.

Peach was standing watching dumbstruck, not knowing what to do. Shin had ran toward her running from Kumiko. He then shook her to wake her out of her daze. "Move or better yet leave if you value your life at all."

"She's serious?" The maid asked as Kumiko sliced the wooden sword to the immediate left of the girl whose eyes gaped at that point as she gasped.

Shin replied dryly. "Does that answer your question?"

Then the girl panicked running toward the door. "Oh my god, I don't wanna' die. I'm too young to have a funeral."

Yankumi smiled and replied. "Don't worry. There won't be enough of your body left to have a funeral when I get through with you." She threw the wooden sword at the girl as the girl headed toward the door, and it stuck in the wall next to the door. The girl looked at the sword, screamed, quickly opened the door and left.

Shin ran over and quickly dislodged the sword and got in a defensive fighting stance. "Now Kumiko, calm down. You have this all wrong. That girl came to deliver our breakfast. I've never seen her before today. I only have eyes for you. I only love you."

Yankumi stopped and had a sweet look on her face. "Really, Shin?" He nodded. Her eyes glinted and her face devilized. "Then come here lover boy let me show you just how much I love you. Do you think I'm that stupid to fall for your little lines so easily?" With that Yankumi went into attack mode again, chasing Shin around the room as he defended himself and the maid left thinking _boy their foreplay sure is scary_.

* * *

And so ends the series of unfortunate events or what I would like to call a Shinkumi wedding.

What? Did you really think it was going to end with them going off happily to their honeymoon without any type of issues or a fight? That would be too easy. I hope you enjoyed it. So now you can go back and read the final chapter in Gokusen, A Jdorama ending. Oh and by the way, Momo means peach.

**

* * *

A/N**: I had the ending all planned out, but it was the dancing and the parts with Kyou that I had trouble writing. As usual, I like to start a new project when I'm about to finish an old one. So, I had to work on a few other things before I could concentrate on completing this one. If you've read Gokusen II Lost and found and wondered where those references to Tsuchi's grandmother and Imani's family came from, then be on the lookout for perhaps a one-shot and a bonus chapter for Gokusen II Lost and Found. Things will be explained in there. So to reiterate the chronological order of the stories it's Gokusen II: Lost and Found, except for the bonus chapter, then Gokusen a Jdorama Ending except the last chapter, A Shinkumi Wedding, all of it, then the last chapter of Gokusen, a Jdorama Ending, the oneshot, and finally the bonus chapter of Gokusen II Lost and Found. And that will complete my fan fictions for Gokusen. Thank you for reading and if you have any questions, just write a review. I answer all reviews.


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